Named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule, the joule is a unit of energy in the International System of Units. A single joule represents the energy transferred when a force of one newton acts over a meter. To put it in everyday terms, the energy used to lift a small apple one meter off the ground is approximately one joule. Interestingly, the joule is also the energy released in one second by a current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm, showcasing its versatility across both mechanical and electrical domains.
While joules measure energy, they can also power curiosity. For instance, the daily recommended caloric intake for an average adult translates to roughly 8,700,000 joules. This highlights the joule’s role not only in physics but also in our nutrition and daily energy consumption, offering a glimpse into the complex interplay between energy, food, and our bodies.
The calorie, commonly associated with food energy, originally measured heat in physics. One calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Despite what food packaging might suggest, when we count calories, we are typically referring to kilocalories, which equals 1,000 of these small calories. This means that when you see a snack label stating it’s 100 calories, it’s actually 100 kilocalories, or 100,000 calories in scientific terms!
Interestingly, the calorie became a popular unit due to its early use in nutrition studies and its role in determining food’s energy content. This is crucial, as it helps in planning and maintaining balanced diets and understanding energy expenditure for health and fitness.
Joules | Calories |
---|---|
0
J
|
0
cal
|
100
J
|
23.90057
cal
|
200
J
|
47.80115
cal
|
300
J
|
71.70172
cal
|
400
J
|
95.60229
cal
|
500
J
|
119.50287
cal
|
600
J
|
143.40344
cal
|
700
J
|
167.30402
cal
|
800
J
|
191.20459
cal
|
900
J
|
215.10516
cal
|
1000
J
|
239.00574
cal
|
1100
J
|
262.90631
cal
|
1200
J
|
286.80688
cal
|
1300
J
|
310.70746
cal
|
1400
J
|
334.60803
cal
|
1500
J
|
358.5086
cal
|
1600
J
|
382.40918
cal
|
1700
J
|
406.30975
cal
|
1800
J
|
430.21033
cal
|
1900
J
|
454.1109
cal
|
2000
J
|
478.01147
cal
|
2100
J
|
501.91205
cal
|
2200
J
|
525.81262
cal
|
2300
J
|
549.71319
cal
|
2400
J
|
573.61377
cal
|
2500
J
|
597.51434
cal
|
2600
J
|
621.41491
cal
|
2700
J
|
645.31549
cal
|
2800
J
|
669.21606
cal
|
2900
J
|
693.11663
cal
|
3000
J
|
717.01721
cal
|
3100
J
|
740.91778
cal
|
3200
J
|
764.81836
cal
|
3300
J
|
788.71893
cal
|
3400
J
|
812.6195
cal
|
3500
J
|
836.52008
cal
|
3600
J
|
860.42065
cal
|
3700
J
|
884.32122
cal
|
3800
J
|
908.2218
cal
|
3900
J
|
932.12237
cal
|
4000
J
|
956.02294
cal
|
4100
J
|
979.92352
cal
|
4200
J
|
1003.82409
cal
|
4300
J
|
1027.72467
cal
|
4400
J
|
1051.62524
cal
|
4500
J
|
1075.52581
cal
|
4600
J
|
1099.42639
cal
|
4700
J
|
1123.32696
cal
|
4800
J
|
1147.22753
cal
|
4900
J
|
1171.12811
cal
|
5000
J
|
1195.02868
cal
|
5100
J
|
1218.92925
cal
|
5200
J
|
1242.82983
cal
|
5300
J
|
1266.7304
cal
|
5400
J
|
1290.63098
cal
|
5500
J
|
1314.53155
cal
|
5600
J
|
1338.43212
cal
|
5700
J
|
1362.3327
cal
|
5800
J
|
1386.23327
cal
|
5900
J
|
1410.13384
cal
|
6000
J
|
1434.03442
cal
|
6100
J
|
1457.93499
cal
|
6200
J
|
1481.83556
cal
|
6300
J
|
1505.73614
cal
|
6400
J
|
1529.63671
cal
|
6500
J
|
1553.53728
cal
|
6600
J
|
1577.43786
cal
|
6700
J
|
1601.33843
cal
|
6800
J
|
1625.23901
cal
|
6900
J
|
1649.13958
cal
|
7000
J
|
1673.04015
cal
|
7100
J
|
1696.94073
cal
|
7200
J
|
1720.8413
cal
|
7300
J
|
1744.74187
cal
|
7400
J
|
1768.64245
cal
|
7500
J
|
1792.54302
cal
|
7600
J
|
1816.44359
cal
|
7700
J
|
1840.34417
cal
|
7800
J
|
1864.24474
cal
|
7900
J
|
1888.14532
cal
|
8000
J
|
1912.04589
cal
|
8100
J
|
1935.94646
cal
|
8200
J
|
1959.84704
cal
|
8300
J
|
1983.74761
cal
|
8400
J
|
2007.64818
cal
|
8500
J
|
2031.54876
cal
|
8600
J
|
2055.44933
cal
|
8700
J
|
2079.3499
cal
|
8800
J
|
2103.25048
cal
|
8900
J
|
2127.15105
cal
|
9000
J
|
2151.05163
cal
|
9100
J
|
2174.9522
cal
|
9200
J
|
2198.85277
cal
|
9300
J
|
2222.75335
cal
|
9400
J
|
2246.65392
cal
|
9500
J
|
2270.55449
cal
|
9600
J
|
2294.45507
cal
|
9700
J
|
2318.35564
cal
|
9800
J
|
2342.25621
cal
|
9900
J
|
2366.15679
cal
|
10000
J
|
2390.05736
cal
|
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