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Calories to Joules Converter

Convert calories (cal) to joules (J), with kilojoules and kilocalories (kcal) shown alongside. Uses the thermochemical calorie.

What this tool does

Convert calories (cal) to joules (J), with kilojoules and kilocalories (kcal) shown alongside. Uses the thermochemical calorie. Type an amount in calories (thermochemical), choose the units, and the tool converts it to joules. It offers 4 energy units and also shows the same amount in the others.

Inputs

  • Value: A number.
  • From: Choose one: Calorie (thermochemical), Joule, Kilojoule, Kilocalorie (thermochemical). Starts as Calorie (thermochemical).
  • To: Choose one of the same 4 units as "From". Starts as Joule.

How to use

  1. Enter the amount you want to convert.
  2. Choose the unit to convert from and the unit to convert to.
  3. Read the result: the converted amount and the same amount in the other units. It appears once every required field has a valid value.

Worked examples

Conversions from calories (thermochemical) to joules:

  • 1 cal (th) = 4.184 J
  • 5 cal (th) = 20.92 J
  • 10 cal (th) = 41.84 J
  • 50 cal (th) = 209.2 J
  • 100 cal (th) = 418.4 J

Multiply the number of calories (thermochemical) by 4.184 to get joules. Both units are exact definitions, so 4.184 is the exact factor: 1 cal (th) = 4.184 J.

Sources: Calorie (thermochemical): NIST SP 811 (2008), Appendix B.8. Joule: SI Brochure, 9th edition (2019).

Limitations

  • Converts units of energy only. It does not work out energy from power, time, voltage or charge.

FAQs

Q: How many joules are in one calorie (thermochemical)?
A: One calorie (thermochemical) is 4.184 joules. Change the value to convert any amount; the other units are listed below the result.
Q: Which definition of the units does this page use?
A: Calories here are thermochemical calories (1 cal = 4.184 J exactly), the definition commonly used in chemistry and nutrition. The International Table calorie (4.1868 J) is slightly larger.
Q: Can I convert from joules to calories (thermochemical)?
A: Yes. Choose joule in the From box and calorie (thermochemical) in the To box. One joule is about 0.23900574 calories (thermochemical).

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