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Kilocalorie (kcal)

1,000 small calories — the 'Calorie' on US nutrition labels.

Result4,184

1 kilocalorie = 4,184 joules

Kilocalorie at a glance

Unit nameKilocalorie (plural: kilocalories)
Symbolkcal
Quantity measuredEnergy
Measurement systemMetric
Also known askcal, food calorie, large calorie, calories (food)
Definition exact?Yes — exact by definition

1 kilocalorie in other energy units

Unit1 kcal equals
Joule4,184 J
Kilojoule4.184 kJ
Megajoule0.004184 MJ
Calorie1,000 cal
Watt-hour1.16222222 Wh
Kilowatt-hour0.001162222 kWh
Megawatt-hour0.000001162 MWh
Electronvolt2.6114474 × 10²² eV
British thermal unit3.96566683 BTU
Therm0.000039657 thm
Foot-pound3,085.96003 ft·lb

Popular kilocalorie conversions

Frequently asked questions

What is a kilocalorie?
1,000 small calories — the 'Calorie' on US nutrition labels.
What is the symbol for the kilocalorie?
The symbol for the kilocalorie is kcal. It measures energy.
How many joules are in a kilocalorie?
1 kilocalorie = 4,184 joules.
How many kilojoules are in a kilocalorie?
1 kilocalorie = 4.184 kilojoules.
How many kilowatt-hours are in a kilocalorie?
1 kilocalorie = 0.001162222 kilowatt-hours.