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Calories and kilojoules are both units of energy used to quantify the amount of energy contained in food and expended by the body. They are used to measure the energy content of foods and the energy expenditure associated with various activities.
Calories (cal)
A calorie is a unit of energy commonly used in nutrition to describe the energy content of food. More precisely, a calorie is defined as the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
In the context of nutrition, we often use a larger unit called a kilocalorie (kcal), which is equivalent to 1000 calories. This is the unit commonly seen on nutrition labels and used to express the energy content of foods. When people talk about “calories” in the context of food, they are usually referring to kilocalories.
Kilojoules (kJ)
Kilojoules are another unit of energy used to measure the energy content of foods and the energy expenditure of the body. One kilojoule is equal to 0.239 calories (kcal). Kilojoules are commonly used in many countries outside of the United States to measure energy content and daily energy intake.
How to convert from calories to kJ
To convert from calories (calories) to kilojoules (kJ), you can use the conversion factor that relates these two units. The conversion factor is:
1 kcal = 4.184 kJ
This means that 1 kilocalorie (kcal) is equal to 4.184 kilojoules (kJ). To convert from calories to kilojoules, you simply need to multiply the number of calories by the conversion factor.
Here’s the formula for the conversion
Energy in kilojoules (kJ) = Energy in calories (calories) × 4.184
For example, let’s say you have 200 calories and you want to convert it to kilojoules:
Energy in kilojoules = 200 calories × 4.184 kJ/calorie = 836.8 kJ
So, 200 calories is equivalent to 836.8 kilojoules.
Calories to Kilojoule Conversion Table
| Calories | Kilojoules |
| 1 cal | 0.004184 kJ |
| 2 cal | 0.008368 kJ |
| 3 cal | 0.012552 kJ |
| 4 cal | 0.016736 kJ |
| 5 cal | 0.02092 kJ |
| 6 cal | 0.025104 kJ |
| 7 cal | 0.029288 kJ |
| 8 cal | 0.033472 kJ |
| 9 cal | 0.037656 kJ |
| 10 cal | 0.04184 kJ |
| 20 cal | 0.08368 kJ |
| 30 cal | 0.12552 kJ |
| 40 cal | 0.16736 kJ |
| 50 cal | 0.2092 kJ |
| 60 cal | 0.25104 kJ |
| 70 cal | 0.29288 kJ |
| 80 cal | 0.33472 kJ |
| 90 cal | 0.37656 kJ |
| 100 cal | 0.4184 kJ |
| 200 cal | 0.8368 kJ |
| 300 cal | 1.2552 kJ |
| 400 cal | 1.6736 kJ |
| 500 cal | 2.092 kJ |
| 600 cal | 2.5104 kJ |
| 700 cal | 2.9288 kJ |
| 800 cal | 3.3472 kJ |
| 900 cal | 3.7656 kJ |
| 1,000 cal | 4.184 kJ |
FAQs on Calories to KJ Conversion
Does 1 kJ equal 1 calorie?
No, 1 kilojoule (kJ) is not equal to 1 calorie. 1 kJ is approximately equal to 0.239 calories.
How do you convert calories to kilojoules?
To convert calories to kilojoules, you can use the conversion factor: 1 calorie = 0.004184 kilojoules.
What is 2000 cal in kJ?
2000 calories is approximately equal to 8.368 kilojoules.
Is 1 joule equal to 1000 kJ?
No, 1 joule is not equal to 1000 kilojoules. 1 joule is equal to 0.001 kilojoules.
What is 1 calorie equal to in joules?
1 calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 joules.
How many kJ is a calorie?
1 calorie is approximately equal to 0.004184 kilojoules.
How many kJ is 2000 calories a day?
2000 calories a day is approximately equal to 8.368 kilojoules.
