Abstract: Specific heat capacity(c_p) is a fundamental thermodynamic property.Its traditional measurement method by DSC requires three scans: a baseline scan,a scan using a sapphire standard,and the sample scan.The paper modifies the traditional DSC measurement method to eliminate two sources of error.Namely they are inequality of the weight of the two empty aluminum pans for sample and reference and the departure of actual heating rate to that of programmed heating rate.A modified formula considering these two effects is given.The first term HFT is the ratio of heat flow to actual heating rate;while the second term is a correlation factor that caused by the weight difference of sample and reference aluminum pan.The modified method offers a significant advance in the ease and reliability of measuring c_p for the testing material of water,benzoic acid and potassium chloride.

Key words: DSC; Specific heat capacity; Modification, DSC, Specific heat capacity, Modification