Calories to Joules Converter

Enter the energy in calories below to get the value converted to joules.

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1 cal = 4.184 J

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How to Convert Calories to Joules

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To convert a measurement in calories to a measurement in joules, multiply the energy by the following conversion ratio: 4.184 joules/calorie.

Since one calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, you can use this simple formula to convert:

joules = calories × 4.184

The energy in joules is equal to the energy in calories multiplied by 4.184.

For example, here's how to convert 5 calories to joules using the formula above.
joules = (5 cal × 4.184) = 20.92 J

How Many Joules Are in a Calorie?

There are 4.184 joules in a calorie, which is why we use this value in the formula above.

1 cal = 4.184 J

Calories and joules are both units used to measure energy. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.

What is a Calorie?

One calorie is equal to the heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees Celsius.

When measuring the energy content in foods, the large calorie, or kilocalorie is used, but it's often still just called a "calorie." When both the calorie and large calorie are used in the same context it is common to refer to the calorie as a "small calorie."

Calories can be abbreviated as cal; for example, 1 calorie can be written as 1 cal.

Learn more about calories.

What is a Joule?

The joule is the energy equal to the force on an object of one newton at a distance of one meter.[1] One joule is equal to the heat energy dissipated by the current of one ampere through one ohm of resistance for one second.

One joule is also equal to the energy needed to move an electric charge of one coulomb through a potential difference of one volt. In addition, one joule is also equal to the one watt-second.

The joule is the SI derived unit for energy in the metric system. Joules can be abbreviated as J; for example, 1 joule can be written as 1 J.

Learn more about joules.

Calorie to Joule Conversion Table

Table showing various calorie measurements converted to joules.
Calories Joules
1 cal 4.184 J
2 cal 8.368 J
3 cal 12.55 J
4 cal 16.74 J
5 cal 20.92 J
6 cal 25.1 J
7 cal 29.29 J
8 cal 33.47 J
9 cal 37.66 J
10 cal 41.84 J
11 cal 46.02 J
12 cal 50.21 J
13 cal 54.39 J
14 cal 58.58 J
15 cal 62.76 J
16 cal 66.94 J
17 cal 71.13 J
18 cal 75.31 J
19 cal 79.5 J
20 cal 83.68 J
21 cal 87.86 J
22 cal 92.05 J
23 cal 96.23 J
24 cal 100.42 J
25 cal 104.6 J
26 cal 108.78 J
27 cal 112.97 J
28 cal 117.15 J
29 cal 121.34 J
30 cal 125.52 J
31 cal 129.7 J
32 cal 133.89 J
33 cal 138.07 J
34 cal 142.26 J
35 cal 146.44 J
36 cal 150.62 J
37 cal 154.81 J
38 cal 158.99 J
39 cal 163.18 J
40 cal 167.36 J

References

  1. International Bureau of Weights and Measures, The International System of Units, 9th Edition, 2019, https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9-EN.pdf

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