Convert Watt-Hours to Calories

Convert Watt-Hours (Wh) to Calories (cal) instantly and accurately.

Conversion Formula

cal = Wh × 860.4206501

About Watt-Hours

A watt-hour (Wh) is the energy delivered by 1 watt for one hour - exactly 3,600 J. It is the practical unit for small-scale electrical energy: a 10,000 mAh 5 V power bank stores 50 Wh; a laptop battery holds 50-90 Wh; a smartphone battery holds 10-15 Wh; an AA alkaline cell stores ~3 Wh. LED lamps labelled 9 W save 51 Wh/h over a 60 W incandescent. IATA dangerous-goods rules use Wh as the threshold for lithium batteries in aircraft: cells >20 Wh and batteries >100 Wh need special approval. 1 Wh = 3,600 J = 3.412 BTU.

About Calories

A calorie (cal) - the thermochemical calorie - is exactly 4.184 J, defined as the heat to raise 1 g of water by 1°C. Standard since 1954. The calorie is the fundamental unit of heat measurement in thermochemistry: glucose combustion releases 669.9 kcal/mol; water vaporisation requires 539.7 cal/g. Bond dissociation energies in quantum chemistry are often quoted in kcal/mol. Note: the dietary Calorie (capital C) on food labels is 1 kcal = 4,184 J - a factor-of-1,000 difference that causes persistent confusion. 1 cal = 4.184 J = 1.163 × 10⁻³ Wh.

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