Calories (Kilogram,thermoc.)
Abbreviation/Symbol:
Calorie (Kilogram,thermoc.)
Cal
Unit of:
Energy
Power
Worldwide use:
As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule
Definition:
The thermochemical calorie was defined in 1930 by Frederick Rossini as 4.1833 joules. The change to absolute electrical units in 1948 involved redefining the thermochemical calorie as 4.184 joules (in order to keep the same quantity of energy represented by it). The thermochemical kilogram calorie is equal to 1,000 times that value - 4,184 J.
Origin:
The calorie was defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat. It is a metric unit but its use has been superceeded in the SI units by the Joule
Usage context:
As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule