Calories to Joules
One calorie equals 4.184 joules.
Joules = calories × 4.184
By Piero Nanni · Last checked
Calories to Joules Calculator
Common Conversions
How to Convert Calories to Joules
Formula:
Joules = calories × 4.184
Worked example:
250 calories × 4.184 = 1046 joules
Calories to Joules Conversion Table
| cal | J |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4.184 |
| 2 | 8.368 |
| 2.5 | 10.46 |
| 5 | 20.92 |
| 7.5 | 31.38 |
| 10 | 41.84 |
| 20 | 83.68 |
| 25 | 104.6 |
| 50 | 209.2 |
| 75 | 313.8 |
| 100 | 418.4 |
| 200 | 836.8 |
| 250 | 1046 |
| 500 | 2092 |
| 750 | 3138 |
| 1000 | 4184 |
| 2000 | 8368 |
| 2500 | 10460 |
| 5000 | 20920 |
| 7500 | 31380 |
| 10000 | 41840 |
About This Conversion
Calories to joules multiplies by 4.184, the defined value of the thermochemical calorie. The joule is the SI unit, so this is the step that brings a nutrition or heating figure into physics units.
Check which calorie you have first. The lowercase calorie here is the small one; the Calorie on a food label is a kilocalorie, a thousand times larger. A 250-calorie snack is 250 kcal, which is 1,046,000 joules, not the 1,046 joules this conversion gives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many joules is one calorie?
One thermochemical calorie is exactly 4.184 joules.
How many joules is a food Calorie?
A food Calorie is a kilocalorie, so it is 4,184 joules.
Why are there two calories?
The small calorie heats one gram of water by 1 °C; the food Calorie heats one kilogram, so it is 1,000 times larger.
How many joules is 2000 calories?
2,000 small calories is 8,368 joules. 2,000 food Calories is 8,368,000 joules.
Sources
Worth Knowing
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