Joules to Calories converter

Convert joules (J) to calories (cal) — results update instantly as you type.

Joules to Calories

To0.239006

1 J = 0.23900574 cal

How to convert Joules to Calories

Energy appears as joules in physics, calories in nutrition, and kilowatt hours on electricity bills. All measure the same thing — the capacity to do work — just at very different scales.

Everything converts through the joule. One (small) calorie is exactly 4.184 joules, a food Calorie (kcal) is 4,184 joules, and one kilowatt hour is exactly 3.6 million joules.

Formula

J × 0.2390057361 = cal

Multiply your joules value by 0.2390057361 to get calories. For the reverse, divide by the same factor.

Joules to Calories conversion table

JoulesCalories
1 J0.239006 cal
2 J0.478011 cal
5 J1.195029 cal
10 J2.390057 cal
25 J5.975143 cal
100 J23.900574 cal

Common use cases

  • Comparing food energy (kcal) with exercise burn
  • Understanding electricity bills in kWh
  • Physics and engineering calculations in joules
  • Battery capacity comparisons in watt hours

Frequently asked questions

A food Calorie (capital C) is actually a kilocalorie — 1,000 small calories. Nutrition labels always mean kilocalories.