BTU to Calories Converter
Quick answer: To convert BTU to calories, multiply by 252.1644. For example, 10 Btu is 2,521.644 cal. One british thermal unit equals 252.1644 cal.
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Use the BTU to Calories Converter
BTU to Calories formula and what each symbol means
cal = Btu × 252.1644
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Btu | British thermal unit |
| cal | Calorie |
BTU to Calories examples
1 Btu
1 Btu × 252.1644 = 252.1644 cal.
10 Btu
10 Btu × 252.1644 = 2,521.644 cal.
100 Btu
100 Btu × 252.1644 = 25,216.44 cal.
BTU compared with Calories
One Btu is 252.2 times as large as one cal, so your number gets bigger when you convert BTU to calories and smaller when you convert back. If the answer is not larger than what you typed, you divided instead of multiplying.
About BTU and calories
British thermal unit (Btu): International Table British thermal unit, 1,055.05585262 joules. Calorie (cal): The thermochemical calorie, exactly 4.184 joules.
Where BTU to calories conversions are used
Food labels show kilocalories or kilojoules, and electricity bills use kilowatt-hours. Gas and heating are often billed in therms, BTU or megajoules.
How to calculate BTU to Calories step by step
- Enter the value in Btu (the starting unit).
- Multiply by 252.1644, because 1 Btu = 252.1644 cal.
- The product is the value in cal. To go back, divide by 252.1644 or multiply by 0.003965667.
Popular energy conversions
How to read your BTU to Calories result
Quick estimate: multiply by about 250 to get calories from BTU; this is within 0.9% of the exact factor. One kilocalorie is exactly 4,184 J and one kilowatt hour is exactly 3.6 million joules.
| BTU | CALORIES |
|---|---|
| 1 | 252.1644 |
| 2 | 504.3288 |
| 5 | 1,260.822 |
| 10 | 2,521.644 |
| 20 | 5,043.288 |
| 50 | 12,608.22 |
| 100 | 25,216.44 |
| 1,000 | 252,164.4 |
Calories to BTU: quick table
| CALORIES | BTU |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.003965667 |
| 5 | 0.01982833 |
| 10 | 0.03965667 |
| 25 | 0.09914167 |
| 50 | 0.1982833 |
| 100 | 0.3965667 |
| 250 | 0.9914167 |
| 500 | 1.982833 |
Common mistakes when calculating BTU to Calories
- Mixing the small calorie (cal) with the food Calorie (kcal): the difference is a factor of 1,000.
- Dividing when you should multiply: from Btu to cal multiply by 252.1644; from cal to Btu divide by 252.1644.
BTU to Calories FAQ
How many cal are in 1 Btu?
1 Btu equals 252.1644 cal.
How many Btu are in 1 cal?
1 cal equals 0.003965667 Btu.
Is 1 Btu = 252.1644 cal an exact conversion?
Yes. The british thermal unit and the calorie are both defined exactly in SI terms, so the ratio has no measurement uncertainty; 252.1644 is just that ratio shown to 7 significant figures.
What is a british thermal unit (Btu)?
International Table British thermal unit, 1,055.05585262 joules.
How can I estimate BTU to calories in my head?
Quick estimate: multiply by about 250 to get calories from BTU; this is within 0.9% of the exact factor.
What is 60 Btu in calories?
60 Btu = 15,129.86 cal (since 60 × 252.1644).
What is 250 Btu in calories?
250 Btu = 63,041.1 cal (since 250 × 252.1644).
What is 7 Btu in calories?
7 Btu = 1,765.151 cal (since 7 × 252.1644).
How many decimals should I keep when converting Btu to cal?
Match the precision of your original measurement. For example, 2,521.644 cal rounds to 2,520 cal at 3 significant figures; keep more digits only for engineering or scientific work.
More in Energy converters
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- Calories to Joules Converter
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Method, review and disclaimer
Edited by: Hemant Kumar and Anjita Rai, founders of ToolsVault (SEO and content professional, not a licensed adviser). Method: this tool runs in your browser using the formula shown on this page; the numbers you enter are not sent to our servers. Sources: NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: conversion factors