Kilocalorie to Calorie Converter
Energy · unit-converter
Convert Kilocalorie to Calorie with fixed input and output units, a step-by-step formula line, and reference tables. Factors are joule-based; food energy uses thermochemical calories. The full Energy Converter also includes MMBtu, toe, thermal kWh, and MeV/GeV.
Calculator
From: Kilocalorie (kcal)
To: Calorie (cal)
About Kilocalorie
The kilocalorie (kcal) is 1,000 calories in the nutrition sense—often labeled “Calorie” on food packaging. Here 1 kcal = 4,184 J (thermochemical calorie definition used in this tool).
About Calorie
The small calorie (cal) is 4.184 J in this converter (thermochemical). Do not confuse with the dietary kilocalorie (kcal).
How to convert kilocalories to calories
1 kilocalorie is equal to 1000 calorie when both are expressed in joule-equivalents:
1 kcal = (4,184 J ÷ 4.184 J) cal = 1000 cal
1 kcal = 1,000 cal (nutrition kilocalorie vs small calorie).
Each kilocalorie is defined as 4,184 J and each calorie as 4.184 J in this tool, so one kcal equals 4,184 ÷ 4.184 cal = 1000 cal.
Let d(kcal) be the numeric amount in Kilocalorie (kcal), and d(cal) the amount in Calorie (cal). Then:
d(cal) = d(kcal) × (4,184 / 4.184)
Equivalently, divide by how many kcal fit into one cal (joules per cal divided by joules per kcal):
d(cal) = d(kcal) ÷ 0.001
Or: calorie = kilocalorie ÷ 0.001
Examples
Example #1: Convert 1 kcal to calorie
1 kcal = 1 kcal × (4,184/4.184) cal = 1000 cal
1 kcal = 1 kcal ÷ 0.001 = 1000 cal
Example #2: Convert 10 kcal to calorie
10 kcal = 10 kcal × (4,184/4.184) cal = 10000 cal
10 kcal = 10 kcal ÷ 0.001 = 10000 cal
Summary
To convert Kilocalorie to Calorie, multiply the value in kcal by the ratio of joules per kcal divided by joules per cal. Equivalently: value_cal = value_kcal × (4184 / 4.184). Numerically, 1 kcal equals 1000 cal.
Relationship context
Both units are food / nutrition energy (calories). Conversions use fixed joule factors, so results stay consistent with the definitions in this converter. The factor from Kilocalorie to Calorie is 1.000000e+3 (1 kcal = 1000 cal).
Conversion tables
| Kilocalorie (kcal) | Calorie (cal) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 3 | 3,000 |
| 4 | 4,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 6 | 6,000 |
| 7 | 7,000 |
| 8 | 8,000 |
| 9 | 9,000 |
| Kilocalorie (kcal) | Calorie (cal) |
|---|---|
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 20 | 20,000 |
| 30 | 30,000 |
| 40 | 40,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 60 | 60,000 |
| 70 | 70,000 |
| 80 | 80,000 |
| 90 | 90,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |