Ergs (erg) to Calories (cal) Conversion
Ergs
The erg is a unit of energy in the CGS (centimetre-gram-second) system, equal to exactly 10⁻⁷ joules. The word derives from the Greek ergon (work). Though largely superseded by the joule in modern science, the erg persists in astrophysics — stellar luminosities and gamma-ray burst energies are sometimes expressed in ergs — and in classical physics texts. One erg is approximately the energy required to move a mosquito by 1 cm. The total energy released by the Sun per second is approximately 3.8 × 10³³ ergs.
Calories
The calorie (cal) is a unit of energy equal to exactly 4.184 joules, defined as the energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius at 15 °C. This is the thermochemical calorie — distinct from the food calorie (written as Cal or kcal), which is 1,000 times larger. The calorie originated in 19th-century thermodynamics before the joule was established as the SI standard, and persists in chemistry, biology, and food science.
| Ergs (erg) | Calories (cal) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 erg | 2.3900573613767E-9 cal |
| 1 erg | 2.3900573613767E-8 cal |
| 2 erg | 4.7801147227533E-8 cal |
| 3 erg | 7.17017208413E-8 cal |
| 5 erg | 1.1950286806883E-7 cal |
| 10 erg | 2.3900573613767E-7 cal |
| 20 erg | 4.7801147227533E-7 cal |
| 30 erg | 7.17017208413E-7 cal |
| 50 erg | 1.1950286806883E-6 cal |
| 100 erg | 2.3900573613767E-6 cal |
| 1000 erg | 2.3900573613767E-5 cal |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many calories are in 1 ergs?
1 ergs (erg) is exactly 0.0000000239 calories (cal).
How do I convert ergs to calories?
Multiply the value in ergs by 0.0000000239 to get the result in calories. Or use the converter above — type any number and see the result instantly.