This list compares various energies in joules (J), organized by order of magnitude.
Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
---|---|---|---|
10-34 | 6.626×10-34J | Photon energy of a photon with a frequency of 1 hertz.[1] | |
10-33 | 2×10-33J | Average kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule at the lowest temperature reached, 100 picokelvins as of 1999[2] | |
10-28 | 6.6×10-28J | Energy of a typical AM radio photon (1 MHz) (4×10-9eV)[3] | |
10-24 | Yocto- (yJ) | 1.6×10-24J | Energy of a typical microwave oven photon (2.45 GHz) (1×10-5eV)[4][5] |
10-23 | 2×10-23J | Average kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule in the Boomerang Nebula, the coldest place known outside of a laboratory, at a temperature of 1 kelvin[6][7] | |
10-22 | 2-3000×10-22J | Energy of infrared light photons[8] | |
10-21 | Zepto- (zJ) | 1.7×10-21J | 1kJ/mol, converted to energy per molecule[9] |
2.1×10-21J | Thermal energy in each degree of freedom of a molecule at 25 °C (kT/2) (0.01 eV)[10] | ||
2.856×10-21J | By Landauer's principle, the minimum amount of energy required at 25 °C to change one bit of information | ||
3-7×10-21J | Energy of a van der Waals interaction between atoms (0.02-0.04 eV)[11][12] | ||
4.1×10-21J | The "kT" constant at 25 °C, a common rough approximation for the total thermal energy of each molecule in a system (0.03 eV)[13] | ||
7-22×10-21J | Energy of a hydrogen bond (0.04 to 0.13 eV)[11][14] | ||
10-20 | 4.5×10-20J | Upper bound of the mass-energy of a neutrino in particle physics (0.28 eV)[15][16] | |
10-19 | 1.6×10-19J | ?1 electronvolt (eV)[17] | |
3-5×10-19J | Energy range of photons in visible light (?1.6-3.1 eV)[18][19] | ||
3-14×10-19J | Energy of a covalent bond (2-9 eV)[11][20] | ||
5-200×10-19J | Energy of ultraviolet light photons[8] | ||
10-18 | Atto- (aJ) | 2.18×10-18J | Ground state ionization energy of hydrogen (13.6 eV) |
10-17 | 2-2000×10-17J | Energy range of X-ray photons[8] | |
10-16 | |||
10-15 | Femto- (fJ) | 3 × 10-15J | Average kinetic energy of one human red blood cell.[21][22][23] |
10-14 | 1×10-14J | Sound energy (vibration) transmitted to the eardrums by listening to a whisper for one second.[24][25][26] | |
> 2×10-14J | Energy of gamma ray photons[8] | ||
2.7×10-14J | Upper bound of the mass-energy of a muon neutrino[27][28] | ||
8.2×10-14J | Rest mass-energy of an electron[29] | ||
10-13 | 1.6×10-13J | 1 megaelectronvolt (MeV)[30] | |
10-12 | Pico- (pJ) | 2.3×10-12J | Kinetic energy of neutrons produced by D-T fusion, used to trigger fission (14.1 MeV)[31][32] |
10-11 | 3.4×10-11J | Average total energy released in the nuclear fission of one uranium-235 atom (215 MeV)[33][34] | |
10-10 | 1.5030×10-10J | Rest mass-energy of a proton[35] | |
1.505×10-10J | Rest mass-energy of a neutron[36] | ||
1.6×10-10J | 1 gigaelectronvolt (GeV)[37] | ||
3×10-10J | Rest mass-energy of a deuteron[38] | ||
6×10-10J | Rest mass-energy of an alpha particle[39] | ||
7×10-10J | Energy required to raise a grain of sand by 0.1mm (the thickness of a piece of paper).[40] | ||
10-9 | Nano- (nJ) | 1.6×10-9J | 10 GeV[41] |
8×10-9J | Initial operating energy per beam of the CERN Large Electron Positron Collider in 1989 (50 GeV)[42][43] | ||
10-8 | 1.3×10-8J | Mass-energy of a W boson (80.4 GeV)[44][45] | |
1.5×10-8J | Mass-energy of a Z boson (91.2 GeV)[46][47] | ||
1.6×10-8J | 100 GeV[48] | ||
2×10-8J | Mass-energy of the Higgs Boson (125.1 GeV)[49] | ||
6.4×10-8J | Operating energy per proton of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator in 1976[50][51] | ||
10-7 | 1×10-7J | ? 1 erg[52] | |
1.6×10-7J | 1 TeV (teraelectronvolt),[53] about the kinetic energy of a flying mosquito[54] | ||
10-6 | Micro- (µJ) | 1.04×10-6J | Energy per proton in the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015 (6.5 TeV)[55][56] |
10-5 | |||
10-4 | |||
10-3 | Milli- (mJ) | ||
10-2 | Centi- (cJ) | ||
10-1 | Deci- (dJ) | 1.1×10-1J | Energy of an American half-dollar falling 1 metre[57][58] |
100 | J | 1J | ? 1 N·m (newton-metre) |
1J | ? 1 W·s (watt-second) | ||
1J | Kinetic energy produced as an extra small apple (~100 grams[59]) falls 1 meter against Earth's gravity[60] | ||
1J | Energy required to heat 1 gram of dry, cool air by 1 degree Celsius[61] | ||
1.4J | ? 1 ft·lbf (foot-pound force)[52] | ||
4.184J | ? 1 thermochemical calorie (small calorie)[52] | ||
4.1868J | ? 1 International (Steam) Table calorie[62] | ||
8J | Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin theoretical upper limit for the energy of a cosmic ray coming from a distant source[63][64] | ||
101 | Deca- (daJ) | 1×101J | Flash energy of a typical pocket camera electronic flash capacitor @ [65][66] |
5×101J | The most energetic cosmic ray ever detected[67] was most likely a single proton traveling only slightly slower than the speed of light.[68] | ||
102 | Hecto- (hJ) | 3×102J | Energy of a lethal dose of X-rays[69] |
3×102J | Kinetic energy of an average person jumping as high as they can[70][71][72] | ||
3.3×102J | Energy to melt 1 g of ice[73] | ||
> 3.6×102J | Kinetic energy of 800 gram[74]standard men's javelin thrown at > 30 m/s[75] by elite javelin throwers[76] | ||
5-20×102J | Energy output of a typical photography studio strobe light in a single flash[77] | ||
6×102J | Kinetic energy of 2 kg[78]standard men's discus thrown at 24.4 m/s[] by the world record holder Jürgen Schult[79] | ||
6×102J | Use of a 10-watt flashlight for 1 minute | ||
7.5×102J | A power of 1 horsepower applied for 1 second[52] | ||
7.8×102J | Kinetic energy of 7.26 kg[80]standard men's shot thrown at 14.7 m/s[] by the world record holder Randy Barnes[81] | ||
8.01×102J | Amount of work needed to lift a man with an average weight (81.7 kg) one meter above Earth (or any planet with Earth gravity) | ||
103 | Kilo- (kJ) | 1.1×103J | ? 1 British thermal unit (BTU), depending on the temperature[52] |
1.4×103J | Total solar radiation received from the Sun by 1 square meter at the altitude of Earth's orbit per second (solar constant)[82] | ||
1.8×103J | Kinetic energy of M16 rifle bullet (5.56×45mm NATO M855, 4.1 g fired at 930 m/s)[83] | ||
2.3×103J | Energy to vaporize 1 g of water into steam[84] | ||
3×103J | Lorentz force can crusher pinch[85] | ||
3.4×103J | Kinetic energy of world-record men's hammer throw (7.26 kg[86] thrown at 30.7 m/s[87] in 1986)[88] | ||
3.6×103J | ? 1 W·h (watt-hour)[52] | ||
4.2×103J | Energy released by explosion of 1 gram of TNT[52][89] | ||
4.2×103J | ? 1 food Calorie (large calorie) | ||
~7×103J | Muzzle energy of an elephant gun, e.g. firing a .458 Winchester Magnum[90] | ||
9×103J | Energy in an alkaline AA battery[91] | ||
104 | 1.7×104J | Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of carbohydrates[92] or protein[93] | |
3.8×104J | Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of fat[94] | ||
4-5×104J | Energy released by the combustion of 1 gram of gasoline[95] | ||
5×104J | Kinetic energy of 1 gram of matter moving at 10 km/s[96] | ||
105 | Kinetic energy of an automobile at highway speeds (1 to 5 tons[97] at or )[98] | ||
5×105J | Kinetic energy of 1 gram of a meteor hitting Earth[99] |
106 | Mega- (MJ) | 1×106J | Kinetic energy of a 2 tonne[97] vehicle at 32 metres per second (115 km/h or 72 mph)[100] |
1.2×106J | Approximate food energy of a snack such as a Snickers bar (280 food calories)[101] | ||
3.6×106J | = 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) (used for electricity)[52] | ||
4.2×106J | Energy released by explosion of 1 kilogram of TNT[52][89] | ||
8.4×106J | Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active woman (2000 food calories)[102][103] | ||
107 | 1×107J | Kinetic energy of the armor-piercing round fired by the assault guns of the ISU-152 tank[104][] | |
1.1×107J | Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active man (2600 food calories)[102][105] | ||
3.7×107J | $1 of electricity at a cost of $0.10/kWh (the US average retail cost in 2009)[106][107][108] | ||
4×107J | Energy from the combustion of 1 cubic meter of natural gas[109] | ||
4.2×107J | Caloric energy consumed by Olympian Michael Phelps on a daily basis during Olympic training[110] | ||
6.3×107J | Theoretical minimum energy required to accelerate 1 kg of matter to escape velocity from Earth's surface (ignoring atmosphere)[111] | ||
108 | 1×108J | Kinetic energy of a 55 tonne aircraft at typical landing speed (59 m/s or 115 knots)[] | |
1.1×108J | ? 1 therm, depending on the temperature[52] | ||
1.1×108J | ? 1 Tour de France, or ~90 hours[112] ridden at 5 W/kg[113] by a 65 kg rider[114] | ||
7.3×108J | ? Energy from burning 16 kilograms of oil (using 135 kg per barrel of light crude)[] | ||
109 | Giga- (GJ) | 1-10×109J | Energy in an average lightning bolt[115] (thunder) |
1.1×109J | Magnetic stored energy in the world's largest toroidal superconducting magnet for the ATLAS experiment at CERN, Geneva[116] | ||
1.2×109J | Inflight 100-ton Boeing 757-200 at 300 knots (154 m/s) | ||
1.4×109J | Theoretical minimum amount of energy required to melt a tonne of steel (380 kWh)[117][118] | ||
2×109J | Energy of an ordinary gasoline tank of a car.[95][119][120] | ||
2×109J | The unit of energy in Planck units[121] | ||
3×109J | Inflight 125-ton Boeing 767-200 flying at 373 knots (192 m/s) | ||
3.3×109J | Approximate average amount of energy expended by a human heart muscle over an 80-year lifetime[122][123] | ||
4.2×109J | Energy released by explosion of 1 ton of TNT. | ||
4.5×109J | Average annual energy usage of a standard refrigerator[124][125] | ||
6.1×109J | ? 1 bboe (barrel of oil equivalent)[126] | ||
1010 | 1.9×1010J | Kinetic energy of an Airbus A380 at cruising speed (560 tonnes at 511 knots or 263 m/s) | |
4.2×1010J | ? 1 toe (ton of oil equivalent)[126] | ||
4.6×1010J | Yield energy of a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the second most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed[127][128] | ||
7.3×1010J | Energy consumed by the average U.S. automobile in the year 2000[129][130][131] | ||
8.6×1010J | ? 1 MW·d (megawatt-day), used in the context of power plants[132] | ||
8.8×1010J | Total energy released in the nuclear fission of one gram of uranium-235[33][34][133] | ||
1011 | 2.4×1011J | Approximate food energy consumed by an average human in an 80-year lifetime.[134] |
1012 | Tera- (TJ) | 3.4×1012J | Maximum fuel energy of an Airbus A330-300 (97,530 liters[135] of Jet A-1[136])[137] |
3.6×1012J | 1 GW·h (gigawatt-hour)[138] | ||
4×1012J | Electricity generated by one 20-kg CANDU fuel bundle assuming ~29%[139] thermal efficiency of reactor[140][141] | ||
4.2×1012J | Energy released by explosion of 1 kiloton of TNT[52][142] | ||
6.4×1012J | Energy contained in jet fuel in a Boeing 747-100B aircraft at max fuel capacity (183,380 liters[143] of Jet A-1[136])[144] | ||
1013 | 1.1×1013J | Energy of the maximum fuel an Airbus A380 can carry (320,000 liters[145] of Jet A-1[136])[146] | |
1.2×1013J | Orbital kinetic energy of the International Space Station (417 tonnes[147] at 7.7 km/s[148])[149] | ||
6.3×1013J | Yield of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II (15 kilotons)[150][151] | ||
9×1013J | Theoretical total mass-energy of 1 gram of matter[152] | ||
1014 | 1.8×1014J | Energy released by annihilation of 1 gram of antimatter and matter | |
3.75×1014J | Total energy released by the Chelyabinsk meteor.[153] | ||
6×1014J | Energy released by an average hurricane in 1 second[154] | ||
1015 | Peta- (PJ) | > 1015J | Energy released by a severe thunderstorm[155] |
1×1015J | Yearly electricity consumption in Greenland as of 2008[156][157] | ||
4.2×1015J | Energy released by explosion of 1 megaton of TNT[52][158] | ||
1016 | 1×1016J | Estimated impact energy released in forming Meteor Crater[] | |
1.1×1016J | Yearly electricity consumption in Mongolia as of 2010[156][159] | ||
9×1016J | Mass-energy in 1 kilogram of antimatter (or matter)[160] | ||
1017 | 1×1017J | Energy released on the Earth's surface by the magnitude 9.1-9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake[161] | |
1.7×1017J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each second[162] | ||
2.1×1017J | Yield of the Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear weapon ever tested (50 megatons)[163][164] | ||
4.2×1017J | Yearly electricity consumption of Norway as of 2008[156][165] | ||
4.5×1017J | Approximate energy needed to accelerate one ton to one-tenth of the speed of light | ||
8×1017J | Estimated energy released by the eruption of the Indonesian volcano, Krakatoa, in 1883[166][167] |
1018 | Exa- (EJ) | 1.4×1018J | Yearly electricity consumption of South Korea as of 2009[156][168] |
1019 | 1.4×1019J | Yearly electricity consumption in the U.S. as of 2009[156][169] | |
1.4×1019J | Yearly electricity production in the U.S. as of 2009[170][171] | ||
5×1019J | Energy released in 1 day by an average hurricane in producing rain (400 times greater than the wind energy)[154] | ||
6.4×1019J | Yearly electricity consumption of the world as of 2008[172][173] | ||
6.8×1019J | Yearly electricity generation of the world as of 2008[172][174] | ||
1020 | 5×1020J | Total world annual energy consumption in 2010[175][176] | |
8×1020J | Estimated global uranium resources for generating electricity 2005[177][178][179][180] | ||
1021 | Zetta- (ZJ) | 6.9×1021J | Estimated energy contained in the world's natural gas reserves as of 2010[175][181] |
7.9×1021J | Estimated energy contained in the world's petroleum reserves as of 2010[175][182] | ||
1022 | 1.5×1022J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each day[162][183] | |
2.4×1022J | Estimated energy contained in the world's coal reserves as of 2010[175][184] | ||
2.9×1022J | Identified global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology[177] | ||
3.9×1022J | Estimated energy contained in the world's fossil fuel reserves as of 2010[175][185] | ||
4×1022J | Estimated total energy released by the magnitude 9.1-9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake[186] | ||
1023 | |||
2.2×1023J | Total global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology[177] | ||
5×1023J | Approximate energy released in the formation of the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula[187] |
1024 | Yotta- (YJ) | 5.5×1024J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each year[162][188] |
1025 | 6×1025J | Upper limit of energy released by a solar flare[189] | |
1026 | |||
3.8×1026J | Total energy output of the Sun each second[190] | ||
1027 | 1×1027J | Estimate of the energy released by the impact that created the Caloris basin on Mercury[191] | |
1028 | 3.8×1028J | Kinetic energy of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth (counting only its velocity relative to the Earth)[192][193] | |
1029 | 2.1×1029J | Rotational energy of the Earth[194][195][196] | |
1030 | 1.8×1030J | Gravitational binding energy of Mercury | |
1031 | 3.3×1031J | Total energy output of the Sun each day[190][197] | |
1032 | 2×1032J | Gravitational binding energy of the Earth[198] | |
1033 | 2.7×1033J | Earth's kinetic energy in its orbit[199] | |
1034 | 1.2×1034J | Total energy output of the Sun each year[190][200] | |
1039 | 6.6×1039J | Theoretical total mass-energy of the Moon | |
1041 | 2.276×1041J | Gravitational binding energy of the Sun[201] | |
5.4×1041J | Theoretical total mass-energy of the Earth[202][203] | ||
1043 | 5×1043J | Total energy of all gamma rays in a typical gamma-ray burst[204][205] | |
1044 | 1-2×1044J | Estimated energy released in a supernova,[206] sometimes referred to as a foe | |
Approximate lifetime energy output of the Sun. | |||
1045 | Brightest observed hypernova ASASSN-15lh[207] | ||
few times×1045J | Beaming-corrected 'True' total energy (Energy in gamma rays+relativistic kinetic energy) of hyper-energetic gamma-ray burst[208][209][210][211][212] | ||
1046 | 1×1046J | Estimated energy released in a hypernova[213] | |
1047 | 1.8×1047J | Theoretical total mass-energy of the Sun[214][215] | |
5.4×1047J | Mass-energy emitted as gravitational waves during the merger of two black holes, originally about 30 Solar masses each, as observed by LIGO (GW150914)[216] | ||
8.6×1047J | Mass-energy emitted as gravitational waves during the largest black hole merger yet observed (GW170729), originally about 42 solar masses each. | ||
8.8×1047J | GRB 080916C - the most powerful Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) ever recorded - total 'apparent'/isotropic (not corrected for beaming) energy output estimated at 8.8 × 1047 joules (8.8 × 1054 erg), or 4.9 times the sun's mass turned to energy.[217] | ||
1053 | 6×1053J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the RBS 797[218] | |
1054 | 3×1054J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the Hercules A (3C 348)[219] | |
1055 | 1055J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the MS 0735.6+7421 | |
1058 | 4×1058J | Visible mass-energy in our galaxy, the Milky Way[220][221] | |
1059 | 1×1059J | Total mass-energy of our galaxy, the Milky Way, including dark matter and dark energy[222][223] | |
1062 | 1-2×1062J | Total mass-energy of the Virgo Supercluster including dark matter, the Supercluster which contains the Milky Way[224] | |
1069 | 4×1069J | Estimated total mass-energy of the observable universe[225] |
Submultiples | Multiples | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Value | SI symbol | Name | Value | SI symbol | Name | |
10-1 J | dJ | decijoule | 101 J | daJ | decajoule | |
10-2 J | cJ | centijoule | 102 J | hJ | hectojoule | |
10-3 J | mJ | millijoule | 103 J | kJ | kilojoule | |
10-6 J | µJ | microjoule | 106 J | MJ | megajoule | |
10-9 J | nJ | nanojoule | 109 J | GJ | gigajoule | |
10-12 J | pJ | picojoule | 1012 J | TJ | terajoule | |
10-15 J | fJ | femtojoule | 1015 J | PJ | petajoule | |
10-18 J | aJ | attojoule | 1018 J | EJ | exajoule | |
10-21 J | zJ | zeptojoule | 1021 J | ZJ | zettajoule | |
10-24 J | yJ | yoctojoule | 1024 J | YJ | yottajoule |
The joule is named after James Prescott Joule. As with every SI unit named for a person, its symbol starts with an upper case letter (J), but when written in full it follows the rules for capitalisation of a common noun; i.e., "joule" becomes capitalised at the beginning of a sentence and in titles, but is otherwise in lower case.
Visible wavelengths are roughly from 390 nm to 780 nm
Roughly 27 picograms
The [...] blood [...] flow[s] at an average speed of 3 to 4 mph
an upper limit ov m_v_u < 170 keV
The neutron comes out with high energy of 14.1 MeV
the LEP machine energy is about 50 GeV per beam
A circulating proton beam of 400 GeV energy was first achieved in the SPS on 17 June 1976
1.355818
A TeV is actually a very tiny amount of energy. A popular analogy is to a flying mosquito.
11.340 g
The energy storage capacitor for pocket cameras is typically 100 to 400 uF at 330 V (charged to 300 V) with a typical flash energy of 10 W-s.
41-50 cm (males) 31-40 cm (females)
70 kg
334kJ/kg
For elite athletes, the velocity of a javelin release has been measured in excess of 30m/s
Most serious studio photographers start with about 2000 watts-seconds
2257 kJ/kg
The total release velocity is 30.7 m/sec
3000 to 12000 pounds
$28.90 per million BTU
6.27×107 Joules / Kg
It discharges about 1-10 billion joules of energy
magnetic energy of 1.1 Gigajoules
377 kWh/mt
The mechanical power of the human heart is ~1.3 watts
For refrigerators in 2001, the average UEC was 1,239 kWh
a yield of 11 tons of TNT
581 gallons of gasoline
a gallon of gas ... 125 million joules of energy
97530 litres
The thermal efficiency of a CANDU plant is only about 29%
fuel burnup in a CANDU is only 6500 to 7500 MWd per metric ton uranium
183,380 L
320,000 L
The International Space Station, for example, flies at 7.7 km/s in one of the lowest practicable orbits
21 kt
the explosion of the island volcano Krakatoa in 1883, had about 200 megatonnes energy.
The kinetic energy derived by the impact is estimated at ~5 × 1030 ergs
the Earth takes 23.9345 hours to rotate
Variable Density Method: the Earth's gravitational binding energy is -1.711×1032J
With a power about 100 times that of the already astonishingly powerful "typical" supernova