Watt Hour to Joule Converter

A watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy equal to the energy consumed by a device with a power rating of one watt operating for one hour. It equals 3,600 joules and is commonly used for measuring energy in small electronic devices.

The watt-hour developed alongside electrical technology as a convenient way to measure energy consumption in smaller electrical devices. It became particularly important with the rise of portable electronics and battery-powered devices where kilowatt-hours would be impractically large.

Watt-hours are commonly used for measuring battery capacity in portable electronics, energy consumption of small appliances, and in renewable energy systems for small-scale applications. They're standard for smartphone batteries, laptop batteries, and small solar power systems.

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.