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Energy
Kilocalories to Calories
Convert kilocalories (kcal) to calories (cal). Type a value below to see the result update instantly. Reference table and formula included.
Calculator
1 kcal = 1000 cal
Kilocalories to Calories Conversion Table
Common values, ready to copy:
| kilocalories | calories |
|---|---|
| 1 kcal | 1000 cal |
| 2 kcal | 2000 cal |
| 5 kcal | 5000 cal |
| 10 kcal | 10000 cal |
| 25 kcal | 25000 cal |
| 50 kcal | 50000 cal |
| 100 kcal | 100000 cal |
| 1,000 kcal | 1.0000e+6 cal |
Formula
calories = kilocalories × 1000
Energy uses the SI joule. Food calories (kcal) are 1,000 small calories: 1 kcal = 4,184 J. 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ = 3,600,000 J. 1 BTU = 1,055.06 J.
About Kilocalories and Calories
Kilocalories (kcal): A thousand small calories, or about 4,184 J; this is what 'calories' means on US food labels. Common uses: Food energy labeling in the US (a 'Calorie' on a US food label is a kilocalorie), nutrition tracking, and exercise energy expenditure.
Calories (cal): Originally defined as the energy to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius; exactly 4.184 J in the modern definition (the thermochemical calorie). Common uses: Scientific work in chemistry, where the small calorie is the natural unit for heat-of-reaction measurements.
How the conversion works
Energy uses the SI joule. Food calories (kcal) are 1,000 small calories: 1 kcal = 4,184 J. 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ = 3,600,000 J. 1 BTU = 1,055.06 J.
The exact relationship is calories = kilocalories × 1000, which the calculator at the top of this page applies in both directions. Type into either field and the other updates immediately.
When this conversion matters
Converting between kilocalories and calories comes up wherever energy measurements move between systems — from one country's conventions to another's, from a scientific reference to a practical specification, or from one industry's working unit to another's. The calculator and reference table above cover the everyday range; for unusual values you can type any number into either field.