Kilocalories to Joules (kcal → J)

4,184.0

1.0000 kcal = 4,184.0 J

Formula

1 kcal = 4184 J
JoulesKilocalories (Swap Units)

Conversion Table

kcalJ
00
1.00004,184.0
2.00008,368.0
3.000012,552
4.000016,736
5.000020,920
6.000025,104
7.000029,288
8.000033,472
9.000037,656
10.00041,840
11.00046,024
12.00050,208
13.00054,392
14.00058,576
15.00062,760
16.00066,944
17.00071,128
18.00075,312
19.00079,496
kcalJ
20.00083,680
21.00087,864
22.00092,048
23.00096,232
24.000100,420
25.000104,600
26.000108,780
27.000112,970
28.000117,150
29.000121,340
30.000125,520
31.000129,700
32.000133,890
33.000138,070
34.000142,260
35.000146,440
36.000150,620
37.000154,810
38.000158,990
39.000163,180
kcalJ
40.000167,360
41.000171,540
42.000175,730
43.000179,910
44.000184,100
45.000188,280
46.000192,460
47.000196,650
48.000200,830
49.000205,020
50.000209,200
51.000213,380
52.000217,570
53.000221,750
54.000225,940
55.000230,120
56.000234,300
57.000238,490
58.000242,670
59.000246,860
kcalJ
60.000251,040
61.000255,220
62.000259,410
63.000263,590
64.000267,780
65.000271,960
66.000276,140
67.000280,330
68.000284,510
69.000288,700
70.000292,880
71.000297,060
72.000301,250
73.000305,430
74.000309,620
75.000313,800
76.000317,980
77.000322,170
78.000326,350
79.000330,540

Kilocalories to Joules Conversion

Converting Kilocalories (kcal) to Joules (J) is a common energy and power conversion. 1 kcal equals 4,184 J. For example, 100 kcal is equal to 418,400 J.

Quick Mental Math: Kilocalories to Joules

0.01195 kilocalories is 50 joules, so use that as the mental anchor.

Why is converting Kilocalories to Joules tricky?

kilocalories to joules is easy to botch because small calories and food Calories differ by a factor of 1,000.

Quick Reference Values

1 kcal = 4,184 J. 5 kcal = 20,920 J. 10 kcal = 41,840 J. 25 kcal = 104,600 J. 50 kcal = 209,200 J. 100 kcal = 418,400 J.

What is Kilocalories?

Kilocalories (kcal) is a unit of energy and power. A kilocalorie equals exactly 1,000 calories and represents the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. It is widely used to quantify food energy and is equivalent to 4,184 joules [bipm-si-brochure]. The calorie was introduced in the early 19th century by Nicolas Clément as a unit of heat energy. The kilocalorie became standard in nutrition science by the early 20th century to express food energy content [bipm-si-brochure]. Kilocalories are used globally in nutrition labeling, especially in the US and Europe, to indicate energy content of foods. Scientific contexts often prefer joules, but kcal remains prevalent in dietetics [nist-sp-811].

What is Joules?

Joules (J) is a unit of energy and power. The joule is the SI unit of energy defined as the work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter in the direction of the force. It equals one kilogram meter squared per second squared (kg·m²/s²). This definition aligns with the International System of Units as standardized by the BIPM [bipm-si-brochure]. The joule is named after James Prescott Joule, a 19th-century physicist who studied energy conservation. It was officially adopted as a unit of energy by the CGPM in 1948 to unify energy measurement standards internationally [cgpm-resolutions]. Joules are used worldwide in physics, engineering, and electrical industries to quantify energy, work, and heat. Countries using the SI system, including those in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, rely on joules for scientific and industrial applications [nist-si-guide].

Common Misspellings

People often search for this conversion using these alternate spellings: kilo calories, kcalorie, kilo-calories, joule, joul, jouls, juls. All of these refer to the Kilocalories to Joules conversion.

Common Conversions