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Specific heat capacity — how much energy it takes to raise a substance's temperature — is measured in Joules per kilogram-kelvin in the SI system, but calories per gram-°C and BTU per pound-°F remain common in food science and US engineering references respectively. This calculator converts between all four.
These units are directly proportional to each other since a 1-degree interval is the same physical size whether measured in Kelvin or Celsius (only the zero point differs, which doesn't affect an interval-based unit like this one).
How it works
Enter a value, choose the unit you're converting from and to, and the calculator applies the standard conversion factor between Joules per kilogram-kelvin, kilojoules per kilogram-kelvin, calories per gram-°C, and BTU per pound-°F.
- Enter value.
- Enter from.
- Enter to.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Water's specific heat capacity
Water's well-known specific heat of 1 calorie per gram-°C converts to 4,184 Joules per kilogram-kelvin, the SI-standard way it's typically cited in physics references.
A US engineering material spec
A material rated at 0.5 BTU per pound-°F converts to about 2,093 Joules per kilogram-kelvin for comparison against an SI-based engineering calculation.
Who should use it
- Converting a material's specific heat capacity between SI and US engineering units.
- Comparing food science heat capacity figures against physics reference values.
Industry applications
- Thermal and mechanical engineering
- Food science and chemistry
Advantages
- Covers SI, food-science, and US engineering unit conventions.
- Shows the exact conversion factor used, not just the final answer.
- No account, subscription or watermark.
Limitations
- Converts specific (per-mass) heat capacity only — not total heat capacity for a specific object's mass.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing specific heat capacity with total heat capacity, which also depends on the object's total mass.
- Mixing up the food-science calorie (kilocalorie, often just called "Calorie") with the small calorie used in this unit — this converter uses the small calorie (1/1000 of a food Calorie).
Best practices
- Confirm whether a food-science source is using the small calorie or the food Calorie (kilocalorie) before converting.
- Use Joules per kilogram-kelvin as your reference unit when comparing across different scientific sources.
Tips
- Remember water's specific heat capacity (1 cal/(g·°C) = 4,184 J/(kg·K)) as a quick reference point.
- Double-check whether a food-science source means the small calorie or the food Calorie (1,000x larger) before converting.