Units of energy

Units of Energy

Units of energy are measurements used to quantify the amount of energy. Energy is a fundamental concept in physics and is essential in various fields such as engineering, chemistry, and environmental science. Different units are used depending on the context and the scale of energy being measured.

Common Units of Energy

Joule

The joule (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. It is defined as the amount of energy transferred when a force of one newton is applied over a distance of one meter. The joule is named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule.

Calorie

The calorie (symbol: cal) is a unit of energy commonly used in nutrition. It is defined as the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. The kilocalorie (kcal), often referred to as the "Calorie" with a capital C, is used to express the energy content in food.

Kilowatt-hour

The kilowatt-hour (symbol: kWh) is a unit of energy commonly used to measure electrical energy consumption. It is defined as the amount of energy consumed by a device with a power of one kilowatt running for one hour.

Electronvolt

The electronvolt (symbol: eV) is a unit of energy commonly used in the field of particle physics. It is defined as the amount of kinetic energy gained by an electron when it is accelerated through an electric potential difference of one volt.

Conversion Between Units

Energy units can be converted from one to another using conversion factors. For example, 1 calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 joules, and 1 kilowatt-hour is equal to 3.6 million joules.

Logarithmic scale of energy units

Related Pages

• Energy
• Power (physics)
• Work (physics)
• Thermodynamics

References

• "Energy Units." International System of Units. Retrieved from [1].
• "Conversion of Units." NIST. Retrieved from [2].