The gigajoule (GJ) is a unit of energy equivalent to one billion joules. It offers a convenient metric for measuring substantial energy quantities and is frequently used in contexts like natural gas and electrical energy. For instance, one gigajoule can power an average household’s energy needs for about three days, depending on energy consumption habits. Interestingly, it’s also roughly equivalent to the energy contained in 26.8 gallons of gasoline, highlighting its significance in both domestic and industrial contexts.
Beyond its everyday applications, the gigajoule also plays a critical role in scientific fields. In the realm of seismology, for example, a moderate earthquake releases energy comparable to a few gigajoules, illustrating the vast power of natural phenomena. This demonstrates how understanding gigajoules can offer insights into both human technology and the forces of nature.
The watt-second is a unit of energy that represents the amount of work done when a power of one watt is sustained for one second. This unit is a direct way to visualize energy transfer in everyday activities. Interestingly, while it may sound abstract, this unit can be directly applied to understand how quick appliances like LED lights or small electronic devices consume energy. For example, a modern LED bulb that consumes 10 watts of power will use 10 watt-seconds of energy every second it is on.
While commonly overshadowed by the more familiar joule, the watt-second is essentially equivalent to one joule. Its simplicity in denoting power over time makes it a cornerstone concept in physics and engineering, where it is applied to calculate specific energy transfers and efficiency in varied systems. Exploring this unit helps bridge the gap between theoretical energy calculations and practical everyday energy use.
| Gigajoules | Watt-seconds |
|---|---|
0
GJ
|
0
Ws
|
0.1
GJ
|
1e+8
Ws
|
0.2
GJ
|
2e+8
Ws
|
0.3
GJ
|
3e+8
Ws
|
0.4
GJ
|
4e+8
Ws
|
0.5
GJ
|
5e+8
Ws
|
0.6
GJ
|
6e+8
Ws
|
0.7
GJ
|
7e+8
Ws
|
0.8
GJ
|
8e+8
Ws
|
0.9
GJ
|
9e+8
Ws
|
1
GJ
|
1e+9
Ws
|
1.1
GJ
|
1.1e+9
Ws
|
1.2
GJ
|
1.2e+9
Ws
|
1.3
GJ
|
1.3e+9
Ws
|
1.4
GJ
|
1.4e+9
Ws
|
1.5
GJ
|
1.5e+9
Ws
|
1.6
GJ
|
1.6e+9
Ws
|
1.7
GJ
|
1.7e+9
Ws
|
1.8
GJ
|
1.8e+9
Ws
|
1.9
GJ
|
1.9e+9
Ws
|
2
GJ
|
2e+9
Ws
|
2.1
GJ
|
2.1e+9
Ws
|
2.2
GJ
|
2.2e+9
Ws
|
2.3
GJ
|
2.3e+9
Ws
|
2.4
GJ
|
2.4e+9
Ws
|
2.5
GJ
|
2.5e+9
Ws
|
2.6
GJ
|
2.6e+9
Ws
|
2.7
GJ
|
2.7e+9
Ws
|
2.8
GJ
|
2.8e+9
Ws
|
2.9
GJ
|
2.9e+9
Ws
|
3
GJ
|
3e+9
Ws
|
3.1
GJ
|
3.1e+9
Ws
|
3.2
GJ
|
3.2e+9
Ws
|
3.3
GJ
|
3.3e+9
Ws
|
3.4
GJ
|
3.4e+9
Ws
|
3.5
GJ
|
3.5e+9
Ws
|
3.6
GJ
|
3.6e+9
Ws
|
3.7
GJ
|
3.7e+9
Ws
|
3.8
GJ
|
3.8e+9
Ws
|
3.9
GJ
|
3.9e+9
Ws
|
4
GJ
|
4e+9
Ws
|
4.1
GJ
|
4.1e+9
Ws
|
4.2
GJ
|
4.2e+9
Ws
|
4.3
GJ
|
4.3e+9
Ws
|
4.4
GJ
|
4.4e+9
Ws
|
4.5
GJ
|
4.5e+9
Ws
|
4.6
GJ
|
4.6e+9
Ws
|
4.7
GJ
|
4.7e+9
Ws
|
4.8
GJ
|
4.8e+9
Ws
|
4.9
GJ
|
4.9e+9
Ws
|
5
GJ
|
5e+9
Ws
|
5.1
GJ
|
5.1e+9
Ws
|
5.2
GJ
|
5.2e+9
Ws
|
5.3
GJ
|
5.3e+9
Ws
|
5.4
GJ
|
5.4e+9
Ws
|
5.5
GJ
|
5.5e+9
Ws
|
5.6
GJ
|
5.6e+9
Ws
|
5.7
GJ
|
5.7e+9
Ws
|
5.8
GJ
|
5.8e+9
Ws
|
5.9
GJ
|
5.9e+9
Ws
|
6
GJ
|
6e+9
Ws
|
6.1
GJ
|
6.1e+9
Ws
|
6.2
GJ
|
6.2e+9
Ws
|
6.3
GJ
|
6.3e+9
Ws
|
6.4
GJ
|
6.4e+9
Ws
|
6.5
GJ
|
6.5e+9
Ws
|
6.6
GJ
|
6.6e+9
Ws
|
6.7
GJ
|
6.7e+9
Ws
|
6.8
GJ
|
6.8e+9
Ws
|
6.9
GJ
|
6.9e+9
Ws
|
7
GJ
|
7e+9
Ws
|
7.1
GJ
|
7.1e+9
Ws
|
7.2
GJ
|
7.2e+9
Ws
|
7.3
GJ
|
7.3e+9
Ws
|
7.4
GJ
|
7.4e+9
Ws
|
7.5
GJ
|
7.5e+9
Ws
|
7.6
GJ
|
7.6e+9
Ws
|
7.7
GJ
|
7.7e+9
Ws
|
7.8
GJ
|
7.8e+9
Ws
|
7.9
GJ
|
7.9e+9
Ws
|
8
GJ
|
8e+9
Ws
|
8.1
GJ
|
8.1e+9
Ws
|
8.2
GJ
|
8.2e+9
Ws
|
8.3
GJ
|
8.3e+9
Ws
|
8.4
GJ
|
8.4e+9
Ws
|
8.5
GJ
|
8.5e+9
Ws
|
8.6
GJ
|
8.6e+9
Ws
|
8.7
GJ
|
8.7e+9
Ws
|
8.8
GJ
|
8.8e+9
Ws
|
8.9
GJ
|
8.9e+9
Ws
|
9
GJ
|
9e+9
Ws
|
9.1
GJ
|
9.1e+9
Ws
|
9.2
GJ
|
9.2e+9
Ws
|
9.3
GJ
|
9.3e+9
Ws
|
9.4
GJ
|
9.4e+9
Ws
|
9.5
GJ
|
9.5e+9
Ws
|
9.6
GJ
|
9.6e+9
Ws
|
9.7
GJ
|
9.7e+9
Ws
|
9.8
GJ
|
9.8e+9
Ws
|
9.9
GJ
|
9.9e+9
Ws
|
10
GJ
|
1e+10
Ws
|
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