What term refers to the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1°C?

The term that describes the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C is specific heat capacity. This concept is critical in understanding how substances respond to heat; it quantifies the thermal inertia of materials. A high specific heat capacity means that a substance can absorb a lot of heat without experiencing a significant increase in temperature, which is an important property for many biological processes, such as temperature regulation in organisms and in ecosystems.

In contrast, solvation refers to the process that occurs when solvent molecules surround and interact with solute ions or molecules. The species concept pertains to the defining characteristics and classification of species in biology, and a solvent is a substance that dissolves a solute, forming a solution. These terms do not pertain to the measurement of heat and temperature changes of a substance. Thus, specific heat capacity is the most fitting term in this context.