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 watt-minute is a lesser-known unit of energy, yet it plays a significant role in understanding everyday energy consumption. It is equivalent to 60 joules and is simply the amount of energy produced or consumed by a power of one watt over one minute. Although not commonly used in everyday measurements, watt-minutes can be instrumental in more precise energy calculations, such as for electrical appliances or industrial equipment, providing insights between larger units like kilowatt-hours and smaller units like joules.
Intriguingly, it takes roughly 15 watt-minutes to charge a modern smartphone for one minute of talk time. This highlights how even small units can offer a clearer perspective on our energy usage, encouraging us to be more mindful of our energy habits!
Joules | Watt-minutes |
---|---|
0
J
|
0
Wm
|
100
J
|
1.66667
Wm
|
200
J
|
3.33333
Wm
|
300
J
|
5
Wm
|
400
J
|
6.66667
Wm
|
500
J
|
8.33333
Wm
|
600
J
|
10
Wm
|
700
J
|
11.66667
Wm
|
800
J
|
13.33333
Wm
|
900
J
|
15
Wm
|
1000
J
|
16.66667
Wm
|
1100
J
|
18.33333
Wm
|
1200
J
|
20
Wm
|
1300
J
|
21.66667
Wm
|
1400
J
|
23.33333
Wm
|
1500
J
|
25
Wm
|
1600
J
|
26.66667
Wm
|
1700
J
|
28.33333
Wm
|
1800
J
|
30
Wm
|
1900
J
|
31.66667
Wm
|
2000
J
|
33.33333
Wm
|
2100
J
|
35
Wm
|
2200
J
|
36.66667
Wm
|
2300
J
|
38.33333
Wm
|
2400
J
|
40
Wm
|
2500
J
|
41.66667
Wm
|
2600
J
|
43.33333
Wm
|
2700
J
|
45
Wm
|
2800
J
|
46.66667
Wm
|
2900
J
|
48.33333
Wm
|
3000
J
|
50
Wm
|
3100
J
|
51.66667
Wm
|
3200
J
|
53.33333
Wm
|
3300
J
|
55
Wm
|
3400
J
|
56.66667
Wm
|
3500
J
|
58.33333
Wm
|
3600
J
|
60
Wm
|
3700
J
|
61.66667
Wm
|
3800
J
|
63.33333
Wm
|
3900
J
|
65
Wm
|
4000
J
|
66.66667
Wm
|
4100
J
|
68.33333
Wm
|
4200
J
|
70
Wm
|
4300
J
|
71.66667
Wm
|
4400
J
|
73.33333
Wm
|
4500
J
|
75
Wm
|
4600
J
|
76.66667
Wm
|
4700
J
|
78.33333
Wm
|
4800
J
|
80
Wm
|
4900
J
|
81.66667
Wm
|
5000
J
|
83.33333
Wm
|
5100
J
|
85
Wm
|
5200
J
|
86.66667
Wm
|
5300
J
|
88.33333
Wm
|
5400
J
|
90
Wm
|
5500
J
|
91.66667
Wm
|
5600
J
|
93.33333
Wm
|
5700
J
|
95
Wm
|
5800
J
|
96.66667
Wm
|
5900
J
|
98.33333
Wm
|
6000
J
|
100
Wm
|
6100
J
|
101.66667
Wm
|
6200
J
|
103.33333
Wm
|
6300
J
|
105
Wm
|
6400
J
|
106.66667
Wm
|
6500
J
|
108.33333
Wm
|
6600
J
|
110
Wm
|
6700
J
|
111.66667
Wm
|
6800
J
|
113.33333
Wm
|
6900
J
|
115
Wm
|
7000
J
|
116.66667
Wm
|
7100
J
|
118.33333
Wm
|
7200
J
|
120
Wm
|
7300
J
|
121.66667
Wm
|
7400
J
|
123.33333
Wm
|
7500
J
|
125
Wm
|
7600
J
|
126.66667
Wm
|
7700
J
|
128.33333
Wm
|
7800
J
|
130
Wm
|
7900
J
|
131.66667
Wm
|
8000
J
|
133.33333
Wm
|
8100
J
|
135
Wm
|
8200
J
|
136.66667
Wm
|
8300
J
|
138.33333
Wm
|
8400
J
|
140
Wm
|
8500
J
|
141.66667
Wm
|
8600
J
|
143.33333
Wm
|
8700
J
|
145
Wm
|
8800
J
|
146.66667
Wm
|
8900
J
|
148.33333
Wm
|
9000
J
|
150
Wm
|
9100
J
|
151.66667
Wm
|
9200
J
|
153.33333
Wm
|
9300
J
|
155
Wm
|
9400
J
|
156.66667
Wm
|
9500
J
|
158.33333
Wm
|
9600
J
|
160
Wm
|
9700
J
|
161.66667
Wm
|
9800
J
|
163.33333
Wm
|
9900
J
|
165
Wm
|
10000
J
|
166.66667
Wm
|
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