Convert Kilocalories to British Thermal Units
kcal to BTU · energy conversion
What are kilocalories and british thermal units?
A kilocalorie (the food Calorie) is 1,000 small calories, the unit on US nutrition labels. A British thermal unit is the energy to heat one pound of water by 1 °F, used for heating and AC. For reference: a food Calorie is one kilocalorie (4,184 J), and home electricity is billed in kilowatt-hours.
How to convert kilocalories to british thermal units
1 kcal = 3.96567 BTU. To convert, multiply the number of kilocalories by 3.96567. For example, 5 kcal = 19.8283 BTU, and 20 kcal = 79.3133 BTU. To go the other way, multiply british thermal units by 0.252164 (since 1 BTU = 0.252164 kcal).
Kilocalories to British Thermal Units conversion table
| Kilocalories (kcal) | British Thermal Units (BTU) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3.96567 |
| 10 | 39.6567 |
| 100 | 396.567 |
| 500 | 1,982.83 |
| 1,000 | 3,965.67 |
| 2,000 | 7,931.33 |
| 5,000 | 19,828.3 |
FAQ
What is 1 kcal in BTU?
1 kcal = 3.96567 BTU. To convert any amount, multiply the number of kilocalories by 3.96567.
How do I convert british thermal units back to kilocalories?
Go the other way: 1 BTU = 0.252164 kcal, so multiply british thermal units by 0.252164 to get kilocalories.
Is a kilocalorie bigger than a british thermal unit?
Yes — 1 kcal is the larger unit, equal to 3.96567 BTU.
Are these energy conversions exact?
They use the standard internationally-defined conversion factors. Results are rounded to six significant figures for readability, which is accurate enough for everyday and most technical use.