Does one calorie equal 4.184 Joules?
yes.
Yes, one calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 joules. This conversion factor is commonly used to convert between calories and joules in the field of energy and nutrition. To explain how to arrive at this conversion factor, let's break it down step by step:
1. A calorie, also known as a small calorie (cal), is a unit of energy commonly used in nutrition. It is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
2. On the other hand, a joule (J) is the SI unit of energy. It is defined as the amount of work done or energy transferred when a force of one newton acts over a distance of one meter.
3. In order to convert between calories and joules, we need to know the exact conversion factor. The accepted value is that one calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 joules.
4. This conversion factor is derived from the relationship between the calorie and the joule. Specifically, the conversion factor is based on the heat capacity of water (which is approximately 4.184 joules per gram per degree Celsius). Since one calorie is defined as the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius, it is equivalent to 4.184 joules.
It's important to note that there are two types of calories: the small calorie (cal) and the large calorie (Cal), also known as the kilocalorie (kcal). The small calorie is the one we discussed here, while the large calorie/kilocalorie is commonly used in the context of nutrition and is equal to 1000 small calories or 4184 joules.