What is calorie (thermochemical)?
The thermochemical calorie is a unit of energy equal to approximately 4.184 joules. It is used in chemistry and physics to express small heat quantities, particularly in thermochemical experiments.
Real-world uses
The thermochemical calorie (4.184 J) is used in chemistry for expressing heats of reaction, specific heat capacities of substances, and calorimetry experiments. It appears in older scientific literature and some chemistry textbooks, particularly in calorimetric calculations.
History
The calorie was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as the heat needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1°C. The thermochemical calorie (exactly 4.184 J) was later standardized for precise scientific use, distinguishing it from other calorie definitions.
Common mistakes
Confusing the small calorie (cal, 4.184 J) with the large Calorie/kilocalorie (Cal/kcal, 4,184 J) used in food labelling. Also, several slightly different definitions of the calorie exist (thermochemical, 15°C, IT), which differ by fractions of a percent.
What is watt hour?
A watt hour is a unit of energy equal to the power of one watt sustained for one hour. It is used to measure small amounts of electrical energy consumption, particularly in battery capacities and portable electronics.
Real-world uses
Watt-hours measure the energy stored in or consumed from batteries, small electronics, and portable power stations. A smartphone battery holds roughly 10–15 Wh; a laptop battery 40–100 Wh. Solar panel output for small installations is often quoted in Wh per day.
History
The watt-hour emerged as a practical energy unit in the late 19th century with the commercialisation of electric power distribution. It offered a convenient scale between the joule (too small) and kilowatt-hour (too large) for everyday portable energy applications.
Common mistakes
Confusing watt-hours (energy) with watts (power). A device rated at 5 W running for 3 hours consumes 15 Wh. Also, treating Wh and mAh as interchangeable without knowing voltage: Wh = mAh × V ÷ 1000.
When is this conversion used?
Converting calorie (thermochemical) to watt hour is useful in the energy domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 calorie (thermochemical) = 0.00116222 watt hour
1 watt hour = 3,600 joule
How to convert calorie (thermochemical) to watt hour
To convert calorie (thermochemical) to watt hour, multiply the value by 0.00116222.
To convert watt hour back to calorie (thermochemical), multiply by 860.4206501.
Measurement standards
The joule is the SI derived unit of energy, defined as one kilogram-metre-squared per second-squared (kg·m²/s²). The kilowatt-hour, equal to exactly 3.6 megajoules, is accepted for use with the SI by the BIPM for practical electricity metering.
Did you know?
A single bolt of lightning releases roughly 1 to 5 gigajoules of energy, yet only a small fraction reaches the ground as electrical current. Most of the energy dissipates as light, heat, and the thunder shockwave.
Quick reference: calorie (thermochemical) to watt hour
| calorie (thermochemical) | watt hour |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.00011622 |
| 0.5 | 0.00058111 |
| 1 | 0.00116222 |
| 2 | 0.00232444 |
| 5 | 0.00581111 |
| 10 | 0.01162222 |
| 25 | 0.02905556 |
| 50 | 0.05811111 |
| 100 | 0.11622222 |
| 250 | 0.29055556 |
| 500 | 0.58111111 |
| 1,000 | 1.16222222 |
Common values
| calorie (thermochemical) | watt hour | |
|---|---|---|
| A food calorie (1 kcal) | 1,000 calorie (thermochemical) | 1.16222222 watt hour |
| A AA battery | 2,237.09369025 calorie (thermochemical) | 2.6 watt hour |
| Boiling a kettle | 100,382.40917782 calorie (thermochemical) | 116.66666667 watt hour |
| Daily human diet (2000 kcal) | 2,000,000 calorie (thermochemical) | 2,324.44444444 watt hour |
| 1 gallon of gasoline | 31,491,395.79349904 calorie (thermochemical) | 36,600 watt hour |
Available Energy units
More calorie (thermochemical) conversions
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to joule
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to kilojoule
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to kilowatt hour
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to kilocalorie (dietary)
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to watt hour
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to megajoule
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to electronvolt
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to British thermal unit
- Convert calorie (thermochemical) to therm (US)
Assumption: calorie means thermochemical calorie, and therm means US therm.