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Chapter 2: Problem 159

Explain the relationship between a calorie and a Calorie.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The relationship between a calorie (cal) and a Calorie (Cal or kilocalorie) lies in the conversion factor: 1 Cal equals 1000 cal. While lowercase calorie (cal) is used for energy measurement in chemistry and physics, uppercase Calorie (food calorie or kilocalorie) is used for measuring energy content of food items.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of a calorie

A calorie (denoted by "cal") is a unit of energy. More specifically, one calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. This unit is often used to quantify energy in the fields of chemistry and physics.
02

Definition of a Calorie

A Calorie (denoted by "Cal" or uppercase "C") is also a unit of energy. This unit is commonly used to measure the energy content of food items. The term 'Calorie' used in this context is actually short for kilocalorie, which is equal to 1000 calories. To avoid confusion between the lowercase calorie (cal) and the uppercase Calorie (food calorie or kilocalorie), we often use "Calorie" to represent the energy in food.
03

Relationship and Conversion

The relationship between a calorie (cal) and a Calorie (food calorie or kilocalorie) can be better understood through their conversion factor. Since 1 Calorie is equal to 1000 calories, you can convert between these two units using the following conversion factors: 1 Calorie = 1000 calories 1 calorie = 0.001 Calorie This conversion factor helps to ensure that when discussing energy in various contexts, the appropriate units are used. Calories (lowercase "c") are more suited for scientific contexts, while Calories (uppercase "C") are most relevant for discussions of energy in food items.

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