1.6. ENERGY AND HEAT UNITS

1.6A. Joule, Calorie, and Btu

In a manner similar to that used in making material balances on chemical and biological processes, we can also make energy balances on a process. Often a large portion of the energy entering or leaving a system is in the form of heat. Before such energy or heat balances are made, we must understand the various types of energy and heat units.

In the SI system, energy is given in joules (J) or kilojoules (kJ). Energy is also expressed in btu (British thermal units) or cal (calories). The g calorie (abbreviated cal) is defined as the amount of heat needed to heat 1.0 g water 1.0°C (from 14.5°C to 15.5°C). Also, 1 kcal (kilocalorie) = 1000 cal. The btu is defined as the amount of heat needed ...

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