The key difference between KJ and KCal is that KJ is the unit of measuring the energy content of a substance or a chemical reaction using joules whereas KCal is the unit measuring the energy content of a substance regarding calories.
Both KJ and KCal are units that are useful in expressing the energy content of a substance or a chemical reaction. The prefix “K” in both these terms refers to “kilo” which means, these terms give the energy content in 103 portions.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is KJ
3. What is KCal
4. Relationship Between KJ and KCal
5. Side by Side Comparison – KJ vs KCal in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is KJ?
The term KJ refers to “kilo joules”. One kilo joule equals 1000 joules (103 joules). When it comes to health, KJ represents our energy intake via food and drink. When it comes to chemical reactions, KJ/mol or kilo joules per mole is the unit which gives the amount of energy involves in the chemical reaction. Moreover, in chemical terms, a joule is equal to the kinetic energy of a kilogram mass moving at the speed of one meter per second. When considering the energy contents of food, fat and alcohol are high in kilojoules, and dietary fibers are low in kilojoules of energy while proteins and carbohydrates have moderate energy content.
What is KCal?
The term KCal refers to “kilo calories”. One kilo calorie equals 1000 calories (103 calories).
Figure 01: High KCal Food
It is a unit of measuring the energy content of food or drink. In chemical terms, the definition for calorie expresses that it is the energy that we need to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water through 1 °C.
What is the Relationship Between KJ and KCal?
- There is a direct relationship between the two terms: 1 KCal = 4.2 KJ
What is the Difference Between KJ and KCal?
Both KJ and KCal are units of measuring the energy content of substances. The term KJ refers to kilo joules while KCal refers to kilo calories. There is a direct relationship between the two terms; that is 1 KCal equals 4.18 KJ.
Summary – KJ vs KCal
Both KJ and KCal are units of measuring the energy content of food and beverages. The difference between KJ and KCal is that KJ is the unit of measuring the energy content of a substance or a chemical reaction using joules whereas KCal is the unit measuring the energy content of a substance regarding calories.