Erg to Terajoule 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 terajoule (TJ) is a unit of energy equal to one trillion joules (10¹² J). It represents enormous amounts of energy, typically used for measuring energy consumption of large cities, industrial processes, or natural phenomena.

The terajoule emerged as energy consumption and production reached massive scales in the 20th century. It became necessary for describing energy in large power plants, national energy statistics, and major industrial processes where smaller units would result in unwieldy numbers.

Terajoules are used for measuring energy consumption of large cities, output of major power plants, industrial energy usage, and in energy policy and planning. They're standard in national energy statistics, large-scale renewable energy projects, and major industrial facility energy audits.