How to Convert Calories to Kilojoules (kJ)
The units of energy can be expressed in calories or kilojoules. To convert calories to kilojoules, multiply by a conversion factor as described here.
Instructions
- Step 1: Identify unit usage Determine whether the number of calories refers to food calories or scientific calories. Nutritionists and physical scientists use the terms differently.
- Step 2: Convert food calories Multiply food calories by 4.184 to convert calories to kilojoules.
- TIP: Food calories are actually scientific kilocalories, which are units of 1,000 scientific calories. Scientific calories are too small to be a meaningful label of food energy.
- Step 3: Convert scientific calories Multiply scientific calories by 4.184 to convert calories to joules. One joule equal one 1/1000 kilojoules.
- FACT: One scientific calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
You Will Need
- Energy unit type
- Calculator
