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Calorie per Second (cal/s) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:cal/s
Plural:cal/s
Category:Power

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What is a Calorie per Second?

Calorie per second (cal/s) measures power in caloric units. 1 cal/s = 4.184 watts (IT calorie). Used in older engineering, physics education, thermodynamics. 1 kcal/s = 4.184 kW. Watts preferred in modern practice.

History of the Calorie per Second

CGS-derived power unit from early thermodynamics. Based on International Table (IT) calorie = 4.1868 J. Used in early 20th century heat transfer calculations. Largely replaced by watts in SI system adoption.

Quick Answer

What is cal/s? Calorie per second (cal/s) measures power. 1 cal/s = 4.184 watts = 14.29 BTU/h. Used in thermodynamics, physics education. 1 kcal/s = 4.184 kW. Modern applications use watts or kW. Metabolic rate: ~1.5 cal/s at rest. Use our power converter for conversions.

Definition

1 cal/s = 4.184 W = 0.004184 kW = 0.0056 hp = 14.29 BTU/h

Note: This uses IT (International Table) calorie = 4.1868 J (standard)

Common Uses

Physics Education: Thermodynamics problems, heat transfer calculations. Older Literature: Pre-SI engineering texts, vintage HVAC data. Scientific: Some chemistry and biology applications. Rarely Modern: Watts or kilocalories per hour preferred today.

Real-World Examples

Human Metabolism (as cal/s)

  • Basal metabolic rate: 1.2-1.8 cal/s (~70-100 W)
  • Sleeping: 1.0-1.2 cal/s (~60-75 W)
  • Sitting/working: 1.5-2.0 cal/s (~90-120 W)
  • Walking (3 mph): 4-5 cal/s (~240-300 W)
  • Running (6 mph): 10-15 cal/s (~600-900 W)
  • Elite athlete (peak): 30-50 cal/s (~1,800-3,000 W)

Power Levels (converted to cal/s)

  • 100W light bulb: ~24 cal/s
  • 1 kW heater: ~239 cal/s
  • Microwave (1,000W): ~239 cal/s
  • Car engine (100 hp): ~17,820 cal/s = 17.8 kcal/s

Calorie per Second Conversion Formulas

To Watt:

1 cal/s = 4.184 W
Example: 5 cal/s = 20.92 watts

To Milliwatt:

1 cal/s = 4184 mW
Example: 5 cal/s = 20920 milliwatts

To Kilowatt:

1 cal/s = 0.004184 kW
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.02092 kilowatts

To Megawatt:

1 cal/s = 0.000004 MW
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.000021 megawatts

To Gigawatt:

1 cal/s = 4.1840e-9 GW
Example: 5 cal/s = 2.0920e-8 gigawatts

To Horsepower:

1 cal/s = 0.005611 hp
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.028054 horsepower

To Metric Horsepower:

1 cal/s = 0.005689 PS
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.028443 PS

To Electric Horsepower:

1 cal/s = 0.005609 hp(E)
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.028043 hp(E)

To BTU per Hour:

1 cal/s = 14.276401 BTU/h
Example: 5 cal/s = 71.382003 BTU/h

To BTU per Minute:

1 cal/s = 0.23794 BTU/min
Example: 5 cal/s = 1.1897 BTU/min

To BTU per Second:

1 cal/s = 0.003966 BTU/s
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.019828 BTU/s

To Foot-pound per Second:

1 cal/s = 3.08596 ft⋅lb/s
Example: 5 cal/s = 15.4298 ft⋅lb/s

To Foot-pound per Minute:

1 cal/s = 185.157602 ft⋅lb/min
Example: 5 cal/s = 925.78801 ft⋅lb/min

To Kilocalorie per Hour:

1 cal/s = 3.6 kcal/h
Example: 5 cal/s = 18 kcal/h

To Ton of Refrigeration:

1 cal/s = 0.00119 TR
Example: 5 cal/s = 0.005948 TR

To Erg per Second:

1 cal/s = 41840000 erg/s
Example: 5 cal/s = 209200000 erg/s

To Joule per Second:

1 cal/s = 4.184 J/s
Example: 5 cal/s = 20.92 J/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Formula:

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Calorie per Second Quick Info

cal/s
Symbol:cal/s
Category:Power
System:Various
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