Calorie (th) to Joule Converter

Energy Converter

27 units available

Decimals:

From

To

4.184

1 cal = 4.184 J

Formula:

J = cal × 4.184

With your value: 1 cal = 4.184 J

How big is that?

Everyday references on a logarithmic scale, all expressed in calorie (th) so you can sanity-check the result.

Heartbeat (1/4.2 your value)0.239 cal

Your value1.00 cal

AA battery charge (2.4e+3× your value)2.39e+3 cal

Slice of bread (6.7e+4× your value)6.69e+4 cal

Daily food intake (2.0e+6× your value)2.01e+6 cal

Litre of petrol (8.2e+6× your value)8.17e+6 cal

Other Calorie (th) to Joule conversions

2 cal to J 3 cal to J 4 cal to J 5 cal to J 6 cal to J 7 cal to J 8 cal to J

Calorie (th) to Joule Conversion Table

Calorie (th) (cal)	Joule (J)
0.5	2.092
1	4.184
2	8.368
5	20.92
10	41.84
15	62.76
20	83.68
25	104.6
50	209.2
100	418.4
250	1,046
500	2,092
1000	4,184

Joule to Calorie (th) Conversion Table

Joule (J)	Calorie (th) (cal)
0.5	0.119503
1	0.239006
2	0.478011
5	1.195029
10	2.390057
15	3.585086
20	4.780115
25	5.975143
50	11.950287
100	23.900574
250	59.751434
500	119.502868
1000	239.005736

Where these values come from

Every factor on this page is traced to the document that defines it. See the full provenance dataset or our methodology.

Calorie (th) (cal)

Energy

Exact conversion

The thermochemical calorie is exactly 4.184 J.

The International Table calorie (4.1868 J) and the 15 °C calorie differ slightly.

Source: NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units

National Institute of Standards and Technology (US) · Reviewed 2026-07-01

Joule (J)

Energy

Exact conversion

Derived from the joule (1 J = 1 kg·m²/s²). Thermochemical and IT calories, BTU and kWh are exact defined multiples.

Source: NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units

National Institute of Standards and Technology (US) · Reviewed 2026-07-01

How to Convert Calorie (th) to Joule

To convert from Calorie (th) (cal) to Joule (J), multiply the value by 4.184.

Formula: J = cal × 4.184

Reverse: cal = J × 0.2390057361

Step-by-Step Example

Start with your value in Calorie (th). For example: 5 cal
Multiply by the conversion factor: 5 x 4.184
The result is: 20.92 J

About Calorie (th)

The thermochemical calorie equals 4.184 joules. Not to be confused with the food Calorie (kcal), which equals 1,000 calories.

Common uses: chemistry, nutrition, heating.

About Joule

The joule is the SI unit of energy. One joule equals the work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter.

Common uses: physics, electrical engineering, chemistry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Joule are in 1 Calorie (th)?

There are exactly 4.184 Joule in 1 Calorie (th). This means the conversion factor from Calorie (th) to Joule is 4.184.

What is the formula to convert Calorie (th) to Joule?

The formula to convert Calorie (th) to Joule is: J = cal × 4.184. For example, to convert 10 Calorie (th) to Joule, you would multiply 10 by 4.184.

What is a Calorie (th)?