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Visual science, specific heat (22/40) In order to maintain body temperature and stay warm the human body gets some assistance due to the fact that the body is primarily made of water which cools slowly. The quantity of thermal energy required to alter the temperature is relatively high compared to other objects with a similar mass because water has a very high specific heat (c). The specific heat of human skin is just a little lower but there's far less mass so suntans can happen rapidly.