Convert Kilotons of TNT to Picojoules
Convert Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) to Picojoules (pJ) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
pJ = kt(TNT) × 4.184000000e+24
About Kilotons of TNT
A kiloton of TNT (kt(TNT)) = 10³ tons of TNT = exactly 4.184 TJ. It is the standard unit for sub-megaton nuclear weapon yields. Hiroshima's Little Boy: ~12-18 kt; Nagasaki's Fat Man: ~19-23 kt. The W88 warhead (Trident II) is ~475 kt; the W76 is ~100 kt. The Beirut port explosion (2020): estimated 0.5-1.1 kt. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake releases ~0.5-2 kt of seismic energy. A kiloton blast creates a fireball ~90-100 m radius and a lethal thermal radius of ~1-2 km. 1 kt(TNT) = 4.184 TJ = 1,162.8 MWh.
About Picojoules
A picojoule (pJ) is 10⁻¹² J - the scale of laser pulses in scientific instruments and chip-level capacitor storage. A 1 pF capacitor charged to 1 V stores exactly 0.5 pJ. Laser pulse energies in OCT and ultrafast spectroscopy are typically 1-1,000 pJ. Single-photon SNSPD detector dead-time dissipates 1-100 pJ per event. Phase-change memory cells (PCM, ReRAM) switch at 10-100 pJ per state transition, setting a lower bound on non-volatile memory energy efficiency. 1 pJ = 10⁻¹² J = 6.242 MeV.
Quick Reference Table
| Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) | Picojoules (pJ) |
|---|---|
| 1 kt(TNT) | 4.184 × 1024 pJ |
| 2 kt(TNT) | 8.368 × 1024 pJ |
| 5 kt(TNT) | 2.092 × 1025 pJ |
| 10 kt(TNT) | 4.184 × 1025 pJ |
| 25 kt(TNT) | 1.046 × 1026 pJ |
| 50 kt(TNT) | 2.092 × 1026 pJ |
| 100 kt(TNT) | 4.184 × 1026 pJ |