Calories (mean)
Abbreviation/Symbol:
Calorie (mean)
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As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule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 mean calorie is the total amount of energy needed to heat one gram of air-free water from 0 to 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure, divided by 100.It's value is 4.19002 J
Origin:
The calorie was first defined in 1824 by Nicolas Clément as a unit of heat. Its 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As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule