Kilocalorie to Kilojoule Converter

A kilocalorie (kcal), also called a food calorie or large calorie, is a unit of energy equal to 1,000 small calories or approximately 4,184 joules. It represents the energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.

The kilocalorie was developed in the 19th century for measuring heat and energy, particularly in nutrition and metabolism studies. It became the standard unit for food energy content and metabolic energy measurements, though many countries have since adopted kilojoules for food labeling.

Kilocalories are widely used in nutrition and dietetics, particularly in the United States, for measuring food energy content and daily energy requirements. They're found on food labels, diet plans, exercise equipment, and in medical and fitness applications for energy balance 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.