A unit of work which is equal to 10
7 ergs (the unit of work in the C. G. S. system of units), and is equivalent to one watt-second, the energy expended in one second by an electric current of one ampere in a resistance of one ohm; also called the
absolute joule. It is abbreviated
J or
j. The
international joule is slightly larger, being 1.000167 times the absolute joule. The absolute
joule is approximately equal to 0.737562 foot pounds, 0.239006 gram-calories (small calories), and 3.72506 x 10
-7 horsepower-hours, and 0.000948451 B.t.u. [
1913 Webster]