Erg to Kilojoule Converter

An erg is a unit of energy in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system, equal to 10⁻⁷ joules. It represents the work done by a force of one dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter.

The erg was developed as part of the CGS unit system in the late 19th century. It was widely used in physics and engineering before the adoption of SI units, particularly in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetic calculations where CGS units were preferred.

Ergs are rarely used in modern applications, appearing mainly in historical scientific literature and some specialized physics contexts. They've been largely replaced by joules in all practical applications, though they may still appear in some older scientific references and specialized calculations.

A kilojoule (kJ) is a unit of energy equal to one thousand joules (10³ J). It's commonly used for measuring food energy content, small-scale mechanical work, and energy in chemical reactions.

The kilojoule became widely adopted in nutrition and food science as many countries moved away from calories to metric energy units. It was officially adopted for food labeling in many countries as part of metrication efforts, providing a more scientifically consistent energy measurement.

Kilojoules are extensively used in food and nutrition labeling, exercise and fitness calculations, chemical reaction energy measurements, and small-scale engineering applications. They're mandatory on food labels in many countries and are standard in sports science and metabolism studies.