What is the difference between a heat calorie and a food calorie?
A 'heat calorie' is the amount of energy it takes to heat 1 mL of water 1 degree celsius. This is the 'real' calorie.
A food calorie is 1000 heat calories. 1 food calorie is written as 1 C. So when you eat something with '150 calories', you're actually eating 150000 heat calories.
Why is it necessary to have reguarly spaced gaps between sections of a concrete sidewalk?
How many calories of heat are needed to raise the temperature of 10 grams of water from 10 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius?
Well, my dear friend, the difference between a heat calorie and a food calorie is that one makes you warm, and the other makes you regret eating that extra slice of pizza. Heat calories are used to measure energy, specifically the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Food calories, on the other hand, are the unit of measurement used to quantify the energy content of food. So, while a heat calorie is a scientific measurement, a food calorie is a way to track how much energy you're consuming, or in my case, how much energy I'm burning by making people laugh!
The difference between a heat calorie and a food calorie lies in their definitions and units of measurement. To better understand this, let's break it down:
1. Heat Calorie: The term "calorie" originated in the field of physics and refers to a unit of heat energy. It is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In scientific terms, a calorie is equivalent to approximately 4.184 joules.
2. Food Calorie: On the other hand, when we talk about calories in the context of nutrition and food, we are referring to a unit of energy commonly used to measure the energy content of food. The food calorie is also known as a "kilocalorie" or "kcal" for short. It is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. In scientific terms, a food calorie is equal to exactly 4.184 kilojoules.
So, to summarize, the main difference between a heat calorie and a food calorie is primarily in their units of measurement. A heat calorie is a smaller unit used in physics to measure heat energy, while a food calorie is a larger unit used in nutrition to measure the energy content of food.
To determine the energy content of food in food calories, scientists use methods such as bomb calorimetry, which involves burning a sample of the food in a controlled environment and measuring the heat released. This information is then used to calculate the energy value of the food in food calories.