Kilocalories (kcal) to Megajoules (MJ) Conversion
Kilocalories
The kilocalorie (kcal), commonly called a "Calorie" (capital C) in nutritional contexts, is a unit of energy equal to exactly 4,184 joules. It represents the energy needed to raise 1 kg of water by 1 °C. In nutrition, all food energy values are expressed in kcal per gram: carbohydrates and protein provide 4 kcal/g; fat provides 9 kcal/g; alcohol provides 7 kcal/g. An average adult requires approximately 2,000–2,500 kcal per day to maintain body weight.
Megajoules
The megajoule (MJ) is a unit of energy equal to exactly 1,000,000 joules (10⁶ J). It is used in energy policy, engineering, and physics for large-scale energy quantities. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) equals exactly 3.6 MJ — the conversion fundamental to understanding electricity bills. A litre of petrol contains approximately 34 MJ of chemical energy. The explosive yield of conventional explosives is sometimes expressed in megajoules.
| Kilocalories (kcal) | Megajoules (MJ) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 kcal | 0.0004184 MJ |
| 1 kcal | 0.004184 MJ |
| 2 kcal | 0.008368 MJ |
| 3 kcal | 0.012552 MJ |
| 5 kcal | 0.02092 MJ |
| 10 kcal | 0.04184 MJ |
| 20 kcal | 0.08368 MJ |
| 30 kcal | 0.12552 MJ |
| 50 kcal | 0.2092 MJ |
| 100 kcal | 0.4184 MJ |
| 1000 kcal | 4.184 MJ |