Calories
Abbreviation/Symbol:
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As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule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:
A calorie is the amount of energy it takes to warm 1 gram of water by 1° C. One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules
Origin:
The calorie was first defined in 1824, by Nicolas Clément. 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As part of the metric system but not an SI unit, calories still have widespread use but are being superceded by the Joule