1 kcal = 1000 cal (kilocalorie → calorie)
1 kcal = 1000 cal
1 kilocalorie equals 1000 calories. To convert kilocalories to calories, multiply the kilocalorie value by 1000. For quick reference: 1 kcal = 1000 cal, 5 kcal = 5000 cal, 10 kcal = 10000 cal, 100 kcal = 100000 cal.
Calories = Kilocalories × 1000Kilocalories to small calories multiplies by 1,000. A 95 kcal apple contains 95,000 thermochemical calories of 4.184 J each. The direction of this conversion is rare in practice — physics rarely wants food-label numbers expanded — but it matters for reading older chemistry literature where 'cal' means the small unit. The classic mistake runs the other way: treating a food label's '250 Calories' as 250 small calories and concluding a candy bar holds less energy than a match.
Introductory nutrition courses use this conversion specifically to teach the calorie-versus-Calorie distinction that trips up most students on their first encounter with food-energy units. One kilocalorie, the 'Calorie' on a food label, is defined as exactly 1,000 small calories — so a 250 kcal snack is 250,000 small calories, a number large enough to make the scale difference viscerally clear. Instructors use this stark factor-of-1,000 jump as the memorable hook that prevents later confusion between scientific calorimetry data and everyday food-energy figures.
Start with your value in kilocalories.
Multiply the kilocalorie value by 1000. This is the exact conversion factor from kilocalories to calories.
The product is your value in calories. For example, 5 kcal × 1000 = 5000 cal.
The exact factor from kilocalories to calories is 1000.
Calories = Kilocalories × 1000
Fifty common reference values, hand-picked for skim utility. Use the calculator above for any value not listed.
| Kilocalories (kcal) | Calories (cal) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 kcal | 1 cal |
| 0.01 kcal | 10 cal |
| 0.1 kcal | 100 cal |
| 0.5 kcal | 500 cal |
| 1 kcal | 1000 cal |
| 1.5 kcal | 1500 cal |
| 2 kcal | 2000 cal |
| 5 kcal | 5000 cal |
| 10 kcal | 10000 cal |
| 20 kcal | 20000 cal |
| 50 kcal | 50000 cal |
| 100 kcal | 100000 cal |
| 200 kcal | 200000 cal |
| 250 kcal | 250000 cal |
| 500 kcal | 500000 cal |
| 1000 kcal | 1000000 cal |
| 2000 kcal | 2000000 cal |
| 2500 kcal | 2500000 cal |
| 3600 kcal | 3600000 cal |
| 5000 kcal | 5000000 cal |
| 7500 kcal | 7500000 cal |
| 10000 kcal | 10000000 cal |
| 25000 kcal | 25000000 cal |
| 50000 kcal | 50000000 cal |
| 100000 kcal | 100000000 cal |
| 250000 kcal | 250000000 cal |
| 500000 kcal | 500000000 cal |
| 1000000 kcal | 1000000000 cal |
| 2000000 kcal | 2000000000 cal |
| 3600000 kcal | 3600000000 cal |
| 5000000 kcal | 5000000000 cal |
| 10000000 kcal | 10000000000 cal |
| 25000000 kcal | 25000000000 cal |
| 50000000 kcal | 50000000000 cal |
| 100000000 kcal | 100000000000 cal |
| 250000000 kcal | 250000000000 cal |
| 500000000 kcal | 500000000000 cal |
| 1000000000 kcal | 1000000000000 cal |
| 2000000000 kcal | 2000000000000 cal |
| 5000000000 kcal | 5000000000000 cal |
| 10000000000 kcal | 10000000000000 cal |
| 20000000000 kcal | 20000000000000 cal |
| 50000000000 kcal | 50000000000000 cal |
| 100000000000 kcal | 100000000000000 cal |
| 1000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^15 cal |
| 10000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^16 cal |
| 100000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^17 cal |
| 1000000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^18 cal |
| 10000000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^19 cal |
| 100000000000000000 kcal | 1.0000 × 10^20 cal |
A medium apple has about 95 kcal. An adult's daily energy need is roughly 2,000–2,500 kcal. In calories, that gives you: 1 kcal = 1000 cal, 10 kcal = 10000 cal, 100 kcal = 100000 cal.
The kilocalorie (kcal) equals exactly 4,184 joules — 1,000 small calories. This is the 'Calorie' (capital C) printed on US nutrition labels: when a food package says '250 Calories', it means 250 kcal. Outside the US, food energy is usually labeled in kJ as well.
Convertitive uses the thermochemical (small) calorie, defined as exactly 4.184 joules — the energy needed to raise 1 g of water by 1 °C. Do not confuse it with the large calorie (kcal) used on US nutrition labels, which is 1,000 of these small calories.
We use Plausible for cookieless analytics. Accepting also lets Google Analytics set first-party cookies to count visits; advertising partners may set cookies once ads are enabled. You can read more in the privacy policy.