1 calorie (th) = 4.184 joules
1 joule = 0.2390 calories (th)
Calorie
Definition
A calorie is a unit of energy. One small calorie (also called a gram calorie) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C.
• 1 small calorie = 4.1868 joules
• 1000 small calories = 1 kilocalorie (Calorie, with a capital C), which is commonly used in nutrition and food labels.
Origin
The calorie was first intr...
1 calorie (th) = 4.184 joules
1 joule = 0.2390 calories (th)
Calorie
Definition
A calorie is a unit of energy. One small calorie (also called a gram calorie) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C.
• 1 small calorie = 4.1868 joules
• 1000 small calories = 1 kilocalorie (Calorie, with a capital C), which is commonly used in nutrition and food labels.
Origin
The calorie was first introduced in 1824 by Nicolas Clément as a unit of heat energy. It appeared in dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. Later, Wilbur Olin Atwater popularized the use of the large calorie (kilocalorie) in the United States in 1887, especially in food science and nutrition.
Current Use
Although outdated in scientific fields, calories are still widely used for measuring food energy. On food packaging, Calories usually means kilocalories (kcal). For example, a chocolate bar with 250 Calories actually contains 250 kilocalories, which equals 250,000 small calories or about 1,046 kilojoules.
Joule
Definition
The joule (J) is the SI (International System of Units) standard for measuring energy. One joule is the energy transferred when a force of one newton moves an object one meter in the direction of the force.
Origin
Named after English physicist James Prescott Joule, who studied heat and mechanical work. His research established the first law of thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy).
Current Use
The joule is now the universal unit for measuring energy in science, physics, engineering, and everyday applications. It is used to describe:
• Heat energy (temperature changes)
• Kinetic energy of moving objects
• Electrical energy
• Work done by a force
While 1 joule = 1 newton-meter, joules and newton-meters are not interchangeable in meaning. Joules measure energy, whereas newton-meters are commonly used for torque.
Calorie (th) to Joule Conversion
The conversion formula is:
1 calorie (th) = 4.184 joules
1 joule = 0.2390 calories (th)
Example Conversion: Convert 15 calories (th) to joules: 15 × 4.184 = 62.76 J
How to Convert Easily
• To convert calories to joules, multiply by 4.184.
• To convert joules to calories, multiply by 0.239.
