Convert Picojoules to Kilotons of TNT
Convert Picojoules (pJ) to Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
kt(TNT) = pJ × 2.390057361e-25
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.
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.
Quick Reference Table
| Picojoules (pJ) | Kilotons of TNT (kt(TNT)) |
|---|---|
| 1 pJ | 2.39 × 10-25 kt(TNT) |
| 2 pJ | 4.78 × 10-25 kt(TNT) |
| 5 pJ | 1.195 × 10-24 kt(TNT) |
| 10 pJ | 2.39 × 10-24 kt(TNT) |
| 25 pJ | 5.975 × 10-24 kt(TNT) |
| 50 pJ | 1.195 × 10-23 kt(TNT) |
| 100 pJ | 2.39 × 10-23 kt(TNT) |