Energy Converter to Joules (J)
Comprehensive energy converter designed for physics and nutrition. Translates Calories, Watt-hours, and Electron-volts into SI Joules with real-world context examples.
This amount of energy could power a standard 60W lightbulb for:
About
The Joule (J) is the derived unit of energy in the International System of Units, yet many industries persist in using legacy or specialized units. Nutritionists use the Calorie (which is actually a kilocalorie), electrical engineers use kilowatt-hours, and particle physicists use electron-volts. This fragmentation often leads to confusion when trying to compare energy density across different fields.
This tool serves as a unified translation engine. It handles the high-precision factors required for scientific notation-essential for atomic scale calculations-while also providing a "Context" feature. This feature translates abstract energy figures into tangible examples, such as how long that energy could power a standard household lightbulb. This perspective is invaluable for students trying to grasp the concept of work and energy capacity.
Formulas
Energy E in Joules is calculated by multiplying the source unit value by its standardized conversion constant k.
Powering a lightbulb relies on the definition of power as energy over time (P = E/t). To find the time t in seconds a 60W bulb can run:
Reference Data
| Unit Name | Symbol | Value in Joules (J) | Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joule | J | 1 | SI Standard |
| Kilojoule | kJ | 1000 | SI Standard |
| Calorie (Thermochemical) | calth | 4.184 | Chemistry |
| Calorie (Nutritional) | kcal / Cal | 4184 | Food |
| Watt-hour | Wh | 3600 | Electricity |
| Kilowatt-hour | kWh | 3.6 × 106 | Utility Bills |
| Electron-volt | eV | 1.60218 × 10-19 | Physics |
| British Thermal Unit | BTUISO | 1055.06 | Heating/Cooling |
| Foot-pound Force | ft⋅lbf | 1.35582 | Mechanics |
| Erg | erg | 1 × 10-7 | CGS System |