Joule to Millijoule Converter

A joule (J) is the SI base unit of energy, defined as the energy expended when applying a force of one newton through a distance of one meter. It represents the fundamental measure of energy, work, and heat in the International System of Units.

The joule was named after English physicist James Prescott Joule in 1889, who studied the relationship between heat and mechanical work. It was adopted as the SI unit of energy in 1960, replacing various other energy units and providing a unified measure for all forms of energy.

Joules are universally used in scientific calculations, physics education, engineering applications, and energy measurements. They're fundamental to all energy calculations in science and engineering, from atomic-scale processes to mechanical systems, and are the basis for all other energy units.

A millijoule (mJ) is a unit of energy equal to one thousandth of a joule (10⁻³ J). It represents small amounts of energy, typically found in electronic circuits, small mechanical systems, and precision energy measurements.

The millijoule became important with the development of precision electronics and small-scale energy measurements. It was particularly useful for measuring energy in electronic pulses, small mechanical impacts, and low-energy physical and chemical processes.

Millijoules are used in electronics for measuring pulse energy, in precision mechanics for small impact measurements, in laser technology for pulse energy, and in materials testing for small-scale energy absorption measurements.