What do calories measure?

1 Answer
SCooke
Sep 1, 2017

The 'calorie' is a unit of thermal energy.

Explanation:

A calorie is the amount of energy required to raise 1 g of water by 1 degree Celsius. It is equal to 4.184 Joules

The "calorie" used in food values is really a kilocalorie (kcal). It is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One kcal is equal to 4,184 Joules, or 4.184 kJ.

Related questions
See all questions in Units of Measurement
Impact of this question
5043 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License