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Kilocalories to Gigajoules conversion

Kilocalories to Gigajoules conversion table

Kilocalories (kcal)Gigajoules (GJ)
00
10.000004184
20.000008368
30.000012552
40.000016736
50.00002092
60.000025104
70.000029288
80.000033472
90.000037656
100.00004184
200.00008368
300.00012552
400.00016736
500.0002092
600.00025104
700.00029288
800.00033472
900.00037656
1000.0004184
10000.004184

How to convert kilocalories to gigajoules?

To convert kilocalories to gigajoules, you can use the following conversion factors:

1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4.184 kilojoules (kJ)

1 gigajoule (GJ) = 1,000,000 kilojoules (kJ)

With this information, you can set up your conversion:

1 kilocalorie = 4.184 kilojoules

Now, converting kilojoules to gigajoules involves dividing by 1,000,000:

1 kcal=4.184 kJ1 \text{ kcal} = 4.184 \text{ kJ} 1 kJ=0.000001 GJ1 \text{ kJ} = 0.000001 \text{ GJ} 1 kcal×0.000001 GJ/kJ=4.184×0.000001 GJ1 \text{ kcal} \times 0.000001 \text{ GJ/kJ} = 4.184 \times 0.000001 \text{ GJ} 1 kcal≈0.000004184 GJ1 \text{ kcal} \approx 0.000004184 \text{ GJ}

Real World Examples

  1. Daily Caloric Intake: Suppose the average daily caloric intake for an adult is about 2,000 kcal. 2,000 kcal×0.000004184 GJ/kcal≈0.008368 GJ2,000 \text{ kcal} \times 0.000004184 \text{ GJ/kcal} \approx 0.008368 \text{ GJ} This means an average adult's daily caloric intake is about 0.008368 gigajoules.

  2. Energy in a Chocolate Bar: A typical chocolate bar contains around 250 kcal. 250 kcal×0.000004184 GJ/kcal≈0.001046 GJ250 \text{ kcal} \times 0.000004184 \text{ GJ/kcal} \approx 0.001046 \text{ GJ} So, one chocolate bar provides about 0.001046 gigajoules of energy.

  3. Marathon Running: Running a marathon (about 42 kilometers) burns approximately 2,600 kcal. 2,600 kcal×0.000004184 GJ/kcal≈0.0108784 GJ2,600 \text{ kcal} \times 0.000004184 \text{ GJ/kcal} \approx 0.0108784 \text{ GJ} Therefore, running a marathon expends approximately 0.0108784 gigajoules of energy.

  4. Annual Caloric Consumption: For another example, the annual caloric consumption of a person with a daily intake of 2,500 kcal: 2,500 kcal/day×365 days/year=912,500 kcal/year2,500 \text{ kcal/day} \times 365 \text{ days/year} = 912,500 \text{ kcal/year} 912,500 kcal×0.000004184 GJ/kcal≈3.8168 GJ912,500 \text{ kcal} \times 0.000004184 \text{ GJ/kcal} \approx 3.8168 \text{ GJ} Thus, one person's annual caloric consumption is roughly 3.8168 gigajoules.

These conversions are useful for understanding and comparing human energy consumption in different units.

See below section for step by step unit conversion with formulas and explanations. Please refer to the table below for a list of all the Gigajoules to other unit conversions.

What is kilocalories?

Kilocalories (kcal) are a unit of energy that measures the amount of heat or energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. In other words, it's a measure of how much energy is needed to change the state of a substance (in this case, water).

In nutrition and food science, kilocalories are used to express the energy content of foods and drinks. One kilocalorie is equal to 1000 calories (not to be confused with "Calories" which is capitalized and refers to the unit of energy specifically related to the human body). The term "kilocalorie" is often shortened to simply "calorie", but technically, it's a measure of the energy content of foods and drinks.

Here are some examples of how kilocalories are used in everyday life:

  1. Food labels: When checking nutrition labels on packaged foods, you'll see the energy content listed in kilocalories (kcal).
  2. Caloric intake: The number of kilocalories an individual consumes or burns is a measure of their caloric balance.
  3. Physical activity: The energy expended during exercise or physical activity is also measured in kilocalories.

To give you an idea of the scale, here are some approximate kilocalorie values for common foods and drinks:

  • Apple (1 medium): 95 kcal
  • Banana (1 medium): 105 kcal
  • Cup of coffee: 0-2 kcal
  • Glass of water: 0 kcal

I hope that helps you understand what kilocalories are!

What is gigajoules?

A gigajoule (GJ) is a unit of energy, specifically a large unit of measurement for electrical and thermal energy.

One gigajoule is equal to one billion joules. To put that in perspective:

  • 1 joule is the amount of energy required to lift an object weighing about 2 pounds up 3 feet.
  • 1 megajoule (MJ) is equal to 1 million joules, which is a significant amount of energy but still relatively small compared to what we use on a daily basis.
  • 1 gigajoule (GJ), on the other hand, is equivalent to:
    • About 277.8 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or 0.2778 megawatt-hours (MWh).
    • The energy produced by burning about 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of gasoline.
    • Enough electricity to power a typical household for about 24 hours.

Gigajoules are often used in the context of:

  • Energy production and consumption (e.g., electrical power plants, oil refineries)
  • Thermal energy storage (e.g., large-scale heat pumps, industrial processes)
  • Renewable energy sources (e.g., solar panels, wind turbines)

I hope that helps you understand gigajoules better!

Complete Kilocalories conversion table

Enter # of Kilocalories
Convert 1 kcal to other unitsResult
Kilocalories to Watt-seconds (kcal to Ws)4184
Kilocalories to Watt-minutes (kcal to Wm)69.733333333333
Kilocalories to Watt-hours (kcal to Wh)1.1622222222222
Kilocalories to Milliwatt-hours (kcal to mWh)1162.2222222222
Kilocalories to Kilowatt-hours (kcal to kWh)0.001162222222222
Kilocalories to Megawatt-hours (kcal to MWh)0.000001162222222222
Kilocalories to Gigawatt-hours (kcal to GWh)1.1622222222222e-9
Kilocalories to Joules (kcal to J)4184
Kilocalories to Kilojoules (kcal to kJ)4.184
Kilocalories to Megajoules (kcal to MJ)0.004184
Kilocalories to Gigajoules (kcal to GJ)0.000004184
Kilocalories to calories (kcal to cal)1000

Energy conversions