Orders of magnitude (energy)

Comparison of a large range of energies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list compares various energies in joules (J), organized by order of magnitude.

Below 1 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
10−35 1×10−35 J Optical dipole potential measured in a tune-out experiment with ultracold metastable helium.[1]
10−346.626×10−34 JEnergy of a photon with a frequency of 1 hertz.,[2][3] equivalent to 4.14×10−15 eV or, alternatively stated, One two-hundred-fifty-trillionth of one eV.)
8×10−34 JAverage kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule at the lowest temperature reached (38 picokelvin[4] as of 2021[5])
10−30quecto- (qJ)
10−28 6.6×10−28 J Energy of a typical AM radio photon (1 MHz) (4×10−9 eV)[6]
10−27ronto- (rJ)
10−24yocto- (yJ) 1.6×10−24 J Energy of a typical microwave oven photon (2.45 GHz) (1×10−5 eV)[7][8]
10−232×10−23 JAverage kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule in the Boomerang Nebula, the coldest place known outside of a laboratory, at a temperature of 1 kelvin[9][10]
10−22 2×10−22 – 3×10−19 J Energy of infrared light photons[11]
10−21 zepto- (zJ) 1.7×10−21 J 1 kJ/mol, converted to energy per molecule[12]
2.1×10−21 J Thermal energy in each degree of freedom of a molecule at 25 °C (kT/2) (0.01 eV)[13]
2.856×10−21 J By Landauer's principle, the minimum amount of energy required at 25 °C to change one bit of information
3–7×10−21 J Energy of a van der Waals interaction between atoms (0.02–0.04 eV)[14][15]
4.1×10−21 J The "kT" constant at 25 °C, a common rough approximation for the total thermal energy of each molecule in a system (0.03 eV)[16]
7–22×10−21 J Energy of a hydrogen bond (0.04 to 0.13 eV)[14][17]
10−20 4.5×10−20 J Upper bound of the mass–energy of a neutrino in particle physics (0.28 eV)[18][19]
10−19 1.602176634×10−19 J1 electronvolt (eV) by definition. This value is exact as a result of the 2019 revision of SI units.[20]
3–5×10−19 JEnergy range of photons in visible light (≈1.6–3.1 eV)[21][22]
3–14×10−19 J Energy of a covalent bond (2–9 eV)[14][23]
5×10−19 – 2×10−17 J Energy of ultraviolet light photons[11]
10−18 atto- (aJ) 1.78×10−18 J Bond dissociation energy for the carbon monoxide (CO) triple bond, alternatively stated: 1072 kJ/mol; 11.11eV per molecule.[24]

This is the strongest chemical bond known.

2.18×10−18 JGround state ionization energy of hydrogen (13.6 eV)
10−17 2×10−17 – 2×10−14 J Energy range of X-ray photons[11]
10−16
10−15femto- (fJ)3 × 10−15 JAverage kinetic energy of one human red blood cell.[25][26][27]
10−14 1×10−14 J Sound energy (vibration) transmitted to the eardrums by listening to a whisper for one second.[28][29][30]
> 2×10−14 J Energy of gamma ray photons[11]
2.7×10−14 JUpper bound of the mass–energy of a muon neutrino[31][32]
8.2×10−14 JRest mass–energy of an electron[33] (0.511 MeV)[34]
10−13 1.6×10−13 J1 megaelectronvolt (MeV)[35]
2.3×10−13 JEnergy released by a single event of two protons fusing into deuterium (1.44 megaelectronvolt MeV)[36]
10−12pico- (pJ)2.3×10−12 JKinetic energy of neutrons produced by DT fusion, used to trigger fission (14.1 MeV)[37][38]
10−11 1.3646×10−11 JEnergy consumed for one floating-point operation by KAIROS, the most energy-efficient supercomputer as of November 2025[39]
3.4×10−11 JAverage total energy released in the nuclear fission of one uranium-235 atom (215 MeV)[40][41]
10−10 1.492×10−10 J Mass-energy equivalent of 1 Da[42] (931.5 MeV)[43]
1.503×10−10 JRest mass–energy of a proton[44] (938.3 MeV)[45]
1.505×10−10 JRest mass–energy of a neutron[46] (939.6 MeV)[47]
1.6×10−10 J1 gigaelectronvolt (GeV)[48]
3×10−10 JRest mass–energy of a deuteron[49]
6×10−10 JRest mass–energy of an alpha particle[50]
7×10−10 JEnergy required to raise a grain of sand by 0.1mm (the thickness of a piece of paper).[51]
10−9 nano- (nJ) 1.6×10−9 J10 GeV[52]
8×10−9 JInitial operating energy per beam of the CERN Large Electron Positron Collider in 1989 (50 GeV)[53][54]
10−8 1.3×10−8 JMass–energy of a W boson (80.4 GeV)[55][56]
1.5×10−8 JMass–energy of a Z boson (91.2 GeV)[57][58]
1.6×10−8 J100 GeV[59]
2×10−8 JMass–energy of the Higgs Boson (125.1 GeV)[60]
6.4×10−8 JOperating energy per proton of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator in 1976[61][62]
10−7 1×10−7 J≡ 1 erg[63]
1.6×10−7 J1 TeV (teraelectronvolt),[64] about the kinetic energy of a flying mosquito[65]
10−6micro- (μJ)1.04×10−6 JEnergy per proton in the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015 (6.5 TeV)[66][67]
10−5
10−41.0×10−4 JEnergy released by a typical radioluminescent wristwatch in 1 hour[68][69] (1 μCi × 4.871 MeV × 1 hr)
10−3milli- (mJ)3.0×10−3 JEnergy released by a P100 atomic battery in 1 hour[70] (2.4 V × 350 nA × 1 hr)
10−2centi- (cJ)4.0×10−2 JUse of a typical LED for 1 second[71] (2.0 V × 20 mA × 1 s)
10−1 deci- (dJ) 1.1×10−1 JEnergy of an American half-dollar falling 1 metre[72][73]
Close

1 to 105 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
100 J 1 J≡ 1 N·m (newtonmetre)
1 J≡ 1 W·s (watt-second)
1 JKinetic energy produced as an extra small apple (~100 grams[74]) falls 1 meter against Earth's gravity[75]
1 JEnergy required to heat 1 gram of dry, cool air by 1 degree Celsius[76]
1.4 J≈ 1 ft·lbf (foot-pound force)[63]
4.184 J≡ 1 thermochemical calorie (small calorie)[63]
4.1868 J≡ 1 International (Steam) Table calorie[77]
8 JGreisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin theoretical upper limit for the energy of a cosmic ray coming from a distant source[78][79]
101 deca- (daJ) 10 JFlash energy of a typical pocket camera electronic flash capacitor (100–400 μF @ 330 V)[80][81]
50 JThe most energetic cosmic ray ever detected.[82]
102 hecto- (hJ) 1.25×102 J Kinetic energy of a regulation (standard) baseball (5.1 oz / 145 g)[83] thrown at 93 mph / 150 km/h (MLB average pitch speed).[84]
1.5×102 - 3.6×102 JEnergy delivered by a biphasic external electric shock (defibrillation), usually during adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest.
3×102 JEnergy of a lethal dose of X-rays[85]
3×102 JKinetic energy of an average person jumping as high as they can[86][87][88]
3.3×102 JEnergy to melt 1 g of ice[89]
> 3.6×102 JKinetic energy of 800 gram[90] standard men's javelin thrown at > 30 m/s[91] by elite javelin throwers[92]
5×102 – 2×103 JEnergy output of a typical photography studio strobe light in a single flash[93]
6×102 JUse of a 10-watt flashlight for 1 minute
7.5×102 JA power of 1 horsepower applied for 1 second[63]
7.8×102 JKinetic energy of 7.26 kg[94] standard men's shot thrown at 14.7 m/s[citation needed] by the world record holder Randy Barnes[95]
8.01×102 J Amount of work needed to lift a man with an average weight (81.7 kg) one meter above Earth (or any planet with Earth gravity)
103 kilo- (kJ) 1.1×103 J≈ 1 British thermal unit (BTU), depending on the temperature[63]
1.4×103 JTotal solar radiation received from the Sun by 1 square meter at the altitude of Earth's orbit per second (solar constant)[96]
2.3×103 JEnergy to vaporize 1 g of water into steam[97]
3×103 JLorentz force can crusher pinch[98]
3.4×103 JKinetic energy of world-record men's hammer throw (7.26 kg[99] thrown at 30.7 m/s[100] in 1986)[101]
3.6×103 J≡ 1 W·h (watt-hour)[63]
4.2×103 JEnergy released by explosion of 1 gram of TNT[63][102]
4.2×103 J≈ 1 food Calorie (large calorie)
~7×103 JMuzzle energy of an elephant gun, e.g. firing a .458 Winchester Magnum[103]
8.5×103 J Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at the speed of sound (343 m/s = 767 mph = 1,235 km/h. Air, 20 °C).[104]
9×103 JEnergy in an alkaline AA battery[105]
104 1.7×104 JEnergy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of carbohydrates[106] or protein[107]
3.8×104 JEnergy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of fat[108]
4–5×104 JEnergy released by the combustion of 1 gram of gasoline[109]
5×104 JKinetic energy of 1 gram of matter moving at 10 km/s[110]
105 3×105 – 1.5×106 JKinetic energy of an automobile at highway speeds (1 to 5 tons[111] at 89 km/h or 55 mph)[112]
Close

106 to 1011 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
106 mega- (MJ) 1×106 JKinetic energy of a 2 tonne[111] vehicle at 32 metres per second (115 km/h or 72 mph)[113]
1.2×106 JApproximate food energy of a snack such as a Snickers bar (280 food calories)[114]
3.6×106 J= 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) (used for electricity)[63]
4.2×106 JEnergy released by explosion of 1 kilogram of TNT[63][102]
6.1×106 J Kinetic energy of the 4 kg tungsten APFSDS penetrator after being fired from a 120mm KE-W A1 cartridge with a nominal muzzle velocity of 1740 m/s.[115][116]
8.4×106 JRecommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active woman (2000 food calories)[117][118]
9.1×106 J Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at Earth's escape velocity (First cosmic velocity ≈ 11.186 km/s = 25,020 mph = 40,270 km/h).[119]
107 1×107 J Kinetic energy of the armor-piercing round fired by the ISU-152 assault gun[120][citation needed]
1.1×107 JRecommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active man (2600 food calories)[117][121]
3.3×107 JKinetic energy of a 23 lb projectile fired by the Navy's mach 8 railgun.[122]
3.7×107 J $1 of electricity at a cost of $0.10/kWh (the US average retail cost in 2009)[123][124][125]
4×107 J Energy from the combustion of 1 cubic meter of natural gas[126]
4.2×107 J Caloric energy consumed by Olympian Michael Phelps on a daily basis during Olympic training[127]
6.3×107 J Theoretical minimum energy required to accelerate 1 kg of matter to escape velocity from Earth's surface (ignoring atmosphere)[128]
9×107 J Total mass-energy of 1 microgram of matter (25 kWh)
108 1×108 JKinetic energy of a 55 tonne aircraft at typical landing speed (59 m/s or 115 knots)[citation needed]
1.1×108 J≈ 1 therm, depending on the temperature[63]
1.1×108 J≈ 1 Tour de France, or ~90 hours[129] ridden at 5 W/kg[130] by a 65 kg rider[131]
7.3×108 J≈ Energy from burning 16 kilograms of oil (using 135 kg per barrel of light crude)[citation needed]
109 giga- (GJ) 1×109 JEnergy in an average lightning bolt[132] (thunder)
1.1×109 JMagnetic stored energy in the world's largest toroidal superconducting magnet for the ATLAS experiment at CERN, Geneva[133]
1.2×109 JInflight 100-ton Boeing 757-200 at 300 knots (154 m/s)
1.4×109 JTheoretical minimum amount of energy required to melt a tonne of steel (380 kWh)[134][135]
1.77×109 J Theoretical minimum energy required for a 1 kg object on Jupiter to accelerate to Jupiter's escape velocity and thus leave its gravity well.[136][137]
2×109 JCombustion energy of 61 liters of gasoline in a standard fuel tank of a car.[109][138][139]
2×109 JDerived unit of energy in Planck units,[140] roughly the diesel tank energy of a mid-sized truck. Its mass-equivalent is the Planck mass.
2.49×109 J Approximate kinetic energy carried by American Airlines Flight 11 at the moment of impact with WTC 1 on September 11, 2001.[141][142]
3×109 JInflight 125-ton Boeing 767-200 flying at 373 knots (192 m/s)
3.3×109 JApproximate average amount of energy expended by a human heart muscle over an 80-year lifetime[143][144]
3.6×109 J = 1 MW·h (megawatt-hour)
4.2×109 JEnergy released by explosion of 1 ton of TNT.
4.5×109 JAverage annual energy usage of a standard refrigerator[145][146]
6.1×109 J≈ 1 bboe (barrel of oil equivalent)[147]
1010 1.9×1010 JKinetic energy of an Airbus A380 at cruising speed (560 tonnes at 511 knots or 263 m/s)
4.2×1010 J≈ 1 toe (ton of oil equivalent)[147]
4.6×1010 JYield energy of a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the second most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed[148][149]
7.3×1010 JEnergy consumed by the average U.S. automobile in the year 2000[150][151][152]
8.6×1010 J≈ 1 MW·d (megawatt-day), used in the context of power plants (24 MW·h)[153]
8.8×1010 JTotal energy released in the nuclear fission of one gram of uranium-235[40][41][154]
9×1010 J Total mass-energy of 1 milligram of matter (25 MW·h)
1011 1.1×1011 J Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at lightning speed (120 km/s = 270,000 mph = 435,000 km/h).[155]
2.4×1011 JApproximate food energy consumed by an average human in an 80-year lifetime.[156]
Close

1012 to 1017 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
1012 tera- (TJ) 1.85×1012 J Gravitational potential energy of the Twin Towers, combined, accumulated throughout their construction and released during the collapse of the complex.[157][158][159]
3.4×1012 J Maximum fuel energy of an Airbus A330-300 (97,530 liters[160] of Jet A-1[161])[162]
3.6×1012 J 1 GW·h (gigawatt-hour)[163]
4×1012 J Electricity generated by one 20-kg CANDU fuel bundle assuming ~29%[164] thermal efficiency of reactor[165][166]
4.2×1012 J Chemical energy released by the detonation of 1 kiloton of TNT[63][167]
6.4×1012 JEnergy contained in jet fuel in a Boeing 747-100B aircraft at max fuel capacity (183,380 liters[168] of Jet A-1[161])[169]
1013 1.1×1013 JEnergy of the maximum fuel an Airbus A380 can carry (320,000 liters[170] of Jet A-1[161])[171]
1.2×1013 JOrbital kinetic energy of the International Space Station (417 tonnes[172] at 7.7 km/s[173])[174]
1.20×1013 J Orbital kinetic energy of the Parker Solar Probe as it dives deep into the Sun's gravity well in December 2024, reaching a peak velocity of 430,000 mph.[175][176][177]
6.3×1013 JYield of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II (15 kilotons)[178][179]
9×1013 JTheoretical total mass–energy of 1 gram of matter (25 GW·h) [180]
1014 1.8×1014 J Energy released by annihilation of 1 gram of antimatter and matter (50 GW·h)
3.75×1014 JTotal energy released by the Chelyabinsk meteor.[181]
6×1014 JEnergy released by an average hurricane per day[182]
1015 peta- (PJ) > 1015 JEnergy released by a severe thunderstorm[183]
1×1015 JYearly electricity consumption in Greenland as of 2008[184][185]
4.2×1015 JEnergy released by explosion of 1 megaton of TNT[63][186]
1016 1×1016 JEstimated impact energy released in forming Meteor Crater[citation needed]
1.1×1016 JYearly electricity consumption in Mongolia as of 2010[184][187]
6.3×1016 J Yield of Castle Bravo, the most powerful nuclear weapon tested by the United States[188]
7.9×1016 J Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at 99% the speed of light (KE = mc^2 × [γ-1], where the Lorentz factor γ ≈ 7.09).[189]
9×1016 JMass–energy of 1 kilogram of matter[190]
1017 1.4×1017 JSeismic energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake[191]
1.7×1017 JTotal energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each second[192]
2.1×1017 JYield of the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested (50 megatons)[193][194]
2.552×1017 J Total energy of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption[195][196]
4.2×1017 JYearly electricity consumption of Norway as of 2008[184][197]
4.516×1017 JEnergy needed to accelerate one ton of mass to 0.1c (~30,000 km/s)[198]
8.4×1017 JEstimated energy released by the eruption of the Indonesian volcano, Krakatoa, in 1883[199][200][201]
Close

1018 to 1023 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
1018 exa- (EJ) 9.4×1018 JWorldwide nuclear-powered electricity output in 2023.[202][203]
1019 1×1019 J Thermal energy released by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption[204]
1.1×1019 J Seismic energy released by the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake[204]
1.2×1019 J Explosive yield of global nuclear arsenal[205] (2.86 Gigatons)
1.4×1019 JYearly electricity consumption in the U.S. as of 2009[184][206]
1.4×1019JYearly electricity production in the U.S. as of 2009[207][208]
5×1019 JEnergy released in 1 day by an average hurricane in producing rain (400 times greater than the wind energy)[182]
6.4×1019 JYearly electricity consumption of the world as of 2008[209][210]
6.8×1019 JYearly electricity generation of the world as of 2008[209][211]
1020 1.4×1020 J Total energy released in the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption[212] (30 Gigatons TNT equivalent)
2.33×1020 J Kinetic energy of a carbonaceous chondrite meteor 1 km in diameter striking Earth's surface at 20 km/s.[213] Such an impact occurs every ~500,000 years.[214]
2.4×1020 J Total latent heat energy released by Hurricane Katrina[215]
5×1020 JTotal world annual energy consumption in 2010[216][217]
6.2×1020 J World primary energy generation in 2023 (620 EJ).[218][219]
8×1020 JEstimated global uranium resources for generating electricity 2005[220][221][222][223]
1021 zetta- (ZJ) 6.9×1021 JEstimated energy contained in the world's natural gas reserves as of 2010[216][224]
7.0×1021 J Thermal energy released by the Toba eruption[204] (1.6 Teratons TNT equivalent)
7.9×1021 JEstimated energy contained in the world's petroleum reserves as of 2010[216][225]
9.3×1021 JAnnual net uptake of thermal energy by the global ocean during 2003-2018[226]
1022 1.2×1022J Seismic energy of a magnitude 11 earthquake on Earth (M 11)[227]
1.5×1022JTotal energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each day[192][228]
1.94×1022J Impact event that formed the Siljan Ring, the largest impact structure in Europe[229]
2.4×1022 JEstimated energy contained in the world's coal reserves as of 2010[216][230]
2.9×1022 JIdentified global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology[220]
3.9×1022 JEstimated energy contained in the world's fossil fuel reserves as of 2010[216][231]
4.0×1022 J Mass-energy equivalent of the International Space Station (ISS), weighing around 450 tons.[232][233]
8.03×1022 J Total energy of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake[234]
1023 1.5×1023 J Total energy of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake[235]
2.2×1023 JTotal global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology[220]
~1-7.7×1023 JAverage estimated energy released in the formation of the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula by the Chicxulub impactor[236][237][238][239] (from ~23 to hundreds of Teraton in TNT equivalent, with 1 Teraton = 106 megatons of TNT) cited by literature when typically referred to in the order of 1023 joules.
Close

Over 1024 J

More information Factor (joules), SI prefix ...
List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules) SI prefix Value Item
1024 yotta- (YJ) 2.31×1024 J Total energy of the Sudbury impact event[240] (550 Teraton TNT equivalent)
2.69×1024 J Rotational energy of Venus, which has a sidereal period of (-)243 Earth days.[241][242][243] The anomalously low value derives its origin from the deceleration of its rotation by atmospheric tides induced by the Sun.[244]
0.7-3.4×1024 J Another estimated energy of the Chicxulub impact event in the range of 1024 J[245]
3.8×1024 J Radiative heat energy released from the Earth's surface each year[204]
5.5×1024 J Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each year[192][246]
1-9×1024 JThe order of magnitude of the estimated energy of Sudbury, Vredefort and late Archean impacts, and of the formation of Iridum basin[247]
1025 4×1025 J Total energy of the Carrington Event in 1859[248]
5.8×1025 J Upper limit of the energy of the Chicxulub impact, assuming dozens of kilometers in diameter for the impactor according to different models, and magnitude of the other giant astronomic impacts on Earth[249]
2-9×1025 J Estimate energy of the impact that formed Mare Orientale on the Moon[250]
1026 >1026JEstimated energy of early Archean asteroid impacts and Imbrium basin formation; in general, the minimum energetic order of magnitude for the largest impact basins of the Moon, Mars and of the Solar System too[247]
3.2×1026 J Bolometric energy of Proxima Centauri's superflare in March 2016 (10^33.5 erg). In one year, potentially five similar superflares erupts from the surface of the red dwarf.[251]
3.828×1026 J Total radiative energy output of the Sun per second,[252] as defined by the IAU.[253]
≥4×1026 JEstimated energy for the formation of South-Pole Aitken basin[254][247]
1027ronna- (RJ)1×1027 JEstimated energy released by the impact that created the Caloris basin on Mercury.[255] (238 Petatons TNT equivalent)
1×1027 J Upper limit of the most energetic solar flares possible (X1000)[256]
4×1027 J Estimated energy of the astronomic impact that formed the Utopia Basin, the largest impact crater in the Solar System[257]
4.2×1027 J Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at the speed of the Oh-My-God particle, itself a cosmic ray proton with the kinetic energy of a baseball thrown at 60 mph (~50 J).[258] (1 Exaton TNT equivalent)
5.19×1027 J Thermal input necessary to evaporate all surface water on Earth.[259][260][261] Note that the evaporated water still remains on Earth, merely in vapor form.
1028>1028 JThe probable order of magnitude of the energy impact that formed the Utopia Basin[257]
3.845×1028 J Kinetic energy of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth (counting only its velocity relative to the Earth)[262][263]
7×1028 J Total energy of the stellar superflare from V1355 Orionis[264][265]
10292.1×1029 JRotational energy of the Earth[266][267][268]
3-6×1029 J Estimated energy in the formation of Borealis Basin on Mars if an impact origin, that could have formed Phobos and Deimos due to the ejected material in the orbit, is assumed[269][270]
1030quetta-(QJ)1.79×1030 JRough estimate of the gravitational binding energy of Mercury.[271]
1031 2×1031 J The Theia Impact, the most energetic event ever in Earth's history[272][273]
3.3×1031JTotal energy output of the Sun each day[252][274]
10321.71×1032 JGravitational binding energy of the Earth[275]
3.10×1032 J Yearly energy output of Sirius B, the ultra-dense and Earth-sized white dwarf companion of Sirius, the Dog Star. It has a surface temperature of about 25,200 K.[276]
10332.7×1033 JEarth's kinetic energy at perihelion in its orbit around the Sun[277][278]
10341.2×1034 JTotal energy output of the Sun each year[252][279]
4.13×1034 J Rotational energy of Jupiter, calculated using an updated value for the moment of inertia factor of 0.26393 ± 0.00001.[280][281][282]
1035 3.5×1035 J The most energetic stellar superflare to date (V2487 Ophiuchi)[283]
1038 7.53×1038 J Baryonic (ordinary) mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic light-year, on average.[284][285]
1039  2–5×1039 J Energy of the giant flare (starquake) released by SGR 1806-20[286][287][288]
6.60×1039 J Theoretical total mass–energy of the Moon[289][290]
1040  1.61×1040 J Baryonic mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic parsec, on average.[285][291]
1041 2.28×1041 JGravitational binding energy of the Sun[292]
5.37×1041 JMass–energy equivalent of the Earth[293][294]
1043 5×1043 J Total energy of all gamma rays in a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated[295][296]
>1043 J Total energy in a typical fast blue optical transient (FBOT)[297]
1044 ~1044 J Average value of a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) in optical/UV bands[298]
~1044 J Estimated kinetic energy released by FBOT CSS161010[299]
~1×1044 JAverage kinetic/thermal energy released in a typical Ia-type supernova,[300][301] and core-collapse supernova,[302] sometimes referred to as a foe or bethe.[303]
1.23×1044 JApproximate lifetime energy output of the Sun.[304][305]
1.71×1044 J Mass-energy equivalent of Jupiter, the most massive planet in our Solar System[306]
3×1044 J Total energy of a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated[300]
5.8 × 1044 J Kinetic energy of the star S2 as it made its closest approach to Sagittarius A*, the galactic center SMBH, at 7,650 km/s on May 2018.[307][308]
1045 ~1045 J Estimated energy released in typical hypernovae and pair-instability supernovae[309]
1045 J Energy released by the energetic supernova, SN 2016aps[310][311]
1.7-1.9×1045JEnergy released by hypernova ASASSN-15lh[312]
2.3×1045 J Energy released by the energetic supernova PS1-10adi[313][314]
>1045 J Estimated energy of a magnetorotational hypernova[315]
>1045 JTotal energy (energy in gamma rays+relativistic kinetic energy) of hyper-energetic gamma-ray burst if collimated[316][317][318][319][320]
1046>1046 J Estimated energy in theoretical quark-novae[321]
~1046 J Upper limit of the total energy of a pair-instability supernova[322][323]
1.5×1046 J Total energy of the most energetic optical non-quasar transient, AT2021lwx[324]
2.5×1046 J Estimated upper limit of Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs), an extreme version of TDEs discovered in 2025[325]
2-4×1046 J Energy of core-collapse supernovae in neutrinos (~99% of the total energy of the astrophysic transient)[326]
~4-5×1046 J Estimated upper limit of kinetic energy of the most energetic GRB of all time, GRB 221009A, according to the traditional top-hat model for jets assuming collimation;[327][328] the previous records at 1045 J appear broken[316][317][318][319][320]
1047 1045-47 J Average estimated energy of stellar mass rotational black holes by vacuum polarization in an electromagnetic field[329][330][331][332][333]
1047 J Total energy of a very energetic and relativistic jetted Tidal Disruption Event (TDE)[334]
~1047 J Estimated energy of a very efficient rotating Kerr-Newman black hole with vacuum polarization, proposed to explain the Eiso of poorly collimated GRBs in which the jet break is absent[331][332][333][329][330]
1.8×1047 JTheoretical total mass–energy of the Sun[335][336]
~1.3×1047 J The Eiso of GRB 080319B,[337][338] remarkable especially for having been a naked-eye burst for approximately 30 seconds from 7.5 billion (7.5×109) light-years[339][340][341] and for which a double-structured jet was proposed, featuring a brighter, narrower inner section and a larger outer one[342] with implications about the frequency and visibility from Earth of GRBs too.[343]
5.4×1047 JMass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the merger of two black holes, originally about 30 Solar masses each, as observed by LIGO (GW150914)[344]
8.6×1047 JMass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the most energetic black hole merger observed until 2020 (GW170729)[345]
8.8×1047 JGRB 080916C – formerly the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true[346] isotropic energy output estimated at 8.8 × 1047 joules (8.8 × 1054 erg), or 4.9 times the Sun's mass turned to energy[347]
1048 1048 J Estimated energy of a supermassive Population III star supernova, denominated "General Relativistic Instability Supernova."[348][349]
~1.2×1048 J Approximate energy released in the most energetic black hole merging to date (GW190521), which originated the first intermediate-mass black hole ever detected[350][351][352][353][354]
1.2–3×1048 J GRB 221009A – the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true[346][355] isotropic energy output estimated at 1.2–3 × 1048 joules (1.2–3 × 1055 erg)[356][357][358]
1050 ≳1050 J Upper limit of isotropic energy (Eiso) of Population III stars Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs).[359]
1053 >1053 J Mechanical energy of very energetic so-called "quasar tsunamis"[360][361]
6×1053 JTotal mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the RBS 797[362]
7.65×1053 J Mass-energy of Sagittarius A*, Milky Way's central supermassive black hole[363][364]
1054 3×1054 JTotal mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the Hercules A (3C 348)[365]
1055>1055 JTotal mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the MS 0735.6+7421,[366] Ophiuchus Supercluster eruption[367] and supermassive black holes mergings[368][369]
1057 ~1057 J Estimated rotational energy of M87 SMBH and total energy of the most luminous quasars over Gyr time-scales[370][371]
~2×1057 J Estimated thermal energy of the Bullet Cluster of galaxies[372]
7.3×1057 J Mass-energy equivalent of the ultramassive black hole TON 618, an extremely luminous quasar / active galactic nucleus (AGN).[373][374]
1058 ~1058 J Estimated total energy (in shockwaves, turbulence, gases heating up, gravitational force) of galaxy clusters mergings[375]
4×1058 JVisible mass–energy in our galaxy, the Milky Way[376][377]
10591×1059 JTotal mass–energy of our galaxy, the Milky Way, including dark matter and dark energy[378][379]
1.4×1059 J Mass-energy of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), ~0.8 trillion solar masses.[380][381]
10621–2×1062 JTotal mass–energy of the Virgo Supercluster including dark matter, the Supercluster which contains the Milky Way[382]
1066 1.207×1066 J Average mass-energy of ordinary matter contained within one cubic gigaparsec in the observable universe.[383]
10701.462×1070 JRough estimate of total mass–energy of ordinary matter (atoms; baryons) present in the observable universe.[384][385][285]
1071 3.177×1071 J Rough estimate of total mass-energy within our observable universe, accounting for all forms of matter and energy.[386][285]
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SI multiples

More information Submultiples, Multiples ...
SI multiples of joule (J)
Submultiples Multiples
Value SI symbol Name Value SI symbol Name
10−1 J dJ decijoule 101 J daJ decajoule
10−2 J cJ centijoule 102 J hJ hectojoule
10−3 J mJ millijoule 103 J kJ kilojoule
10−6 J μJ microjoule 106 J MJ megajoule
10−9 J nJ nanojoule 109 J GJ gigajoule
10−12 J pJ picojoule 1012 J TJ terajoule
10−15 J fJ femtojoule 1015 J PJ petajoule
10−18 J aJ attojoule 1018 J EJ exajoule
10−21 J zJ zeptojoule 1021 J ZJ zettajoule
10−24 J yJ yoctojoule 1024 J YJ yottajoule
10−27 J rJ rontojoule 1027 J RJ ronnajoule
10−30 J qJ quectojoule 1030 J QJ quettajoule
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The joule is named after James Prescott Joule. As with every SI unit named after a person, its symbol starts with an upper case letter (J), but when written in full, it follows the rules for capitalisation of a common noun; i.e., joule becomes capitalised at the beginning of a sentence and in titles but is otherwise in lower case.

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