# Orders of magnitude (energy)

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

## Below 1 J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^{−34}$ | | 6.626×10$^{−34}$ J | Energy of a photon with a frequency of 1 hertz. |
| 10$^{−34}$ | | 8×10$^{−34}$ J | Average kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule at the lowest temperature reached (38 picokelvin as of 2021) |
| 10$^{−30}$ | quecto- (qJ) | | |
| 10$^{−28}$ | | 6.6×10$^{−28}$ J | Energy of a typical AM radio photon (1 MHz) (4×10$^{−9}$ eV) |
| 10$^{−27}$ | ronto- (rJ) | | |
| 10$^{−24}$ | yocto- (yJ) | 1.6×10$^{−24}$ J | Energy of a typical microwave oven photon (2.45 GHz) (1×10$^{−5}$ eV) |
| 10$^{−23}$ | | 2×10$^{−23}$ J | Average 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 |
| 10$^{−22}$ | | 2–3000×10$^{−22}$ J | Energy of infrared light photons |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 1.7×10$^{−21}$ J | 1 kJ/mol, converted to energy per molecule |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 2.1×10$^{−21}$ J | Thermal energy in each degree of freedom of a molecule at 25 °C (kT/2) (0.01 eV) |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 2.856×10$^{−21}$ J | By Landauer's principle, the minimum amount of energy required at 25 °C to change one bit of information |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 3–7×10$^{−21}$ J | Energy of a van der Waals interaction between atoms (0.02–0.04 eV) |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 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) |
| 10$^{−21}$ | zepto- (zJ) | 7–22×10$^{−21}$ J | Energy of a hydrogen bond (0.04 to 0.13 eV) |
| 10$^{−20}$ | | 4.5×10$^{−20}$ J | Upper bound of the mass–energy of a neutrino in particle physics (0.28 eV) |
| 10$^{−19}$ | | 1.602176634×10$^{−19}$ J | 1 electronvolt (eV) by definition. This value is exact as a result of the 2019 revision of SI units. |
| 10$^{−19}$ | | 3–5×10$^{−19}$ J | Energy range of photons in visible light (≈1.6–3.1 eV) |
| 10$^{−19}$ | | 3–14×10$^{−19}$ J | Energy of a covalent bond (2–9 eV) |
| 10$^{−19}$ | | 5–200×10$^{−19}$ J | Energy of ultraviolet light photons |
| 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. This is the strongest chemical bond known. |
| 10$^{−18}$ | atto- (aJ) | 2.18×10$^{−18}$ J | Ground state ionization energy of hydrogen (13.6 eV) |
| 10$^{−17}$ | | 2–2000×10$^{−17}$ J | Energy range of X-ray photons |
| 10$^{−16}$ | | | |
| 10$^{−15}$ | femto- (fJ) | 3 × 10$^{−15}$ J | Average kinetic energy of one human red blood cell. |
| 10$^{−14}$ | | 1×10$^{−14}$ J | Sound energy (vibration) transmitted to the eardrums by listening to a whisper for one second. |
| 10$^{−14}$ | | > 2×10$^{−14}$ J | Energy of gamma ray photons |
| 10$^{−14}$ | | 2.7×10$^{−14}$ J | Upper bound of the mass–energy of a muon neutrino |
| 10$^{−14}$ | | 8.2×10$^{−14}$ J | Rest mass–energy of an electron (0.511 MeV) |
| 10$^{−13}$ | | 1.6×10$^{−13}$ J | 1 megaelectronvolt (MeV) |
| 10$^{−13}$ | | 2.3×10$^{−13}$ J | Energy released by a single event of two protons fusing into deuterium (1.44 megaelectronvolt MeV) |
| 10$^{−12}$ | pico- (pJ) | 2.3×10$^{−12}$ J | Kinetic energy of neutrons produced by DT fusion, used to trigger fission (14.1 MeV) |
| 10$^{−11}$ | | 3.4×10$^{−11}$ J | Average total energy released in the nuclear fission of one uranium-235 atom (215 MeV) |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 1.492×10$^{−10}$ J | Mass-energy equivalent of 1 Da (931.5 MeV) |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 1.503×10$^{−10}$ J | Rest mass–energy of a proton (938.3 MeV) |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 1.505×10$^{−10}$ J | Rest mass–energy of a neutron (939.6 MeV) |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 1.6×10$^{−10}$ J | 1 gigaelectronvolt (GeV) |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 3×10$^{−10}$ J | Rest mass–energy of a deuteron |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 6×10$^{−10}$ J | Rest mass–energy of an alpha particle |
| 10$^{−10}$ | | 7×10$^{−10}$ J | Energy required to raise a grain of sand by 0.1mm (the thickness of a piece of paper). |
| 10$^{−9}$ | nano- (nJ) | 1.6×10$^{−9}$ J | 10 GeV |
| 10$^{−9}$ | nano- (nJ) | 8×10$^{−9}$ J | Initial operating energy per beam of the CERN Large Electron Positron Collider in 1989 (50 GeV) |
| 10$^{−8}$ | | 1.3×10$^{−8}$ J | Mass–energy of a W boson (80.4 GeV) |
| 10$^{−8}$ | | 1.5×10$^{−8}$ J | Mass–energy of a Z boson (91.2 GeV) |
| 10$^{−8}$ | | 1.6×10$^{−8}$ J | 100 GeV |
| 10$^{−8}$ | | 2×10$^{−8}$ J | Mass–energy of the Higgs Boson (125.1 GeV) |
| 10$^{−8}$ | | 6.4×10$^{−8}$ J | Operating energy per proton of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator in 1976 |
| 10$^{−7}$ | | 1×10$^{−7}$ J | ≡ 1 erg |
| 10$^{−7}$ | | 1.6×10$^{−7}$ J | 1 TeV (teraelectronvolt), about the kinetic energy of a flying mosquito |
| 10$^{−6}$ | micro- (μJ) | 1.04×10$^{−6}$ J | Energy per proton in the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015 (6.5 TeV) |
| 10$^{−5}$ | | | |
| 10$^{−4}$ | | 1.0×10$^{−4}$ J | Energy released by a typical radioluminescent wristwatch in 1 hour (1 μCi × 4.871 MeV × 1 hr) |
| 10$^{−3}$ | milli- (mJ) | 3.0×10$^{−3}$ J | Energy released by a P100 atomic battery in 1 hour (2.4 V × 350 nA × 1 hr) |
| 10$^{−2}$ | centi- (cJ) | 4.0×10$^{−2}$ J | Use of a typical LED for 1 second (2.0 V × 20 mA × 1 s) |
| 10$^{−1}$ | deci- (dJ) | 1.1×10$^{−1}$ J | Energy of an American half-dollar falling 1 metre |

## 1 to 10$^5$ J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^0$ | J | 1 J | ≡ 1 N·m (newton–metre) |
| 10$^0$ | J | 1 J | ≡ 1 W·s (watt-second) |
| 10$^0$ | J | 1 J | Kinetic energy produced as an extra small apple (~100 grams) falls 1 meter against Earth's gravity |
| 10$^0$ | J | 1 J | Energy required to heat 1 gram of dry, cool air by 1 degree Celsius |
| 10$^0$ | J | 1.4 J | ≈ 1 ft·lbf (foot-pound force) |
| 10$^0$ | J | 4.184 J | ≡ 1 thermochemical calorie (small calorie) |
| 10$^0$ | J | 4.1868 J | ≡ 1 International (Steam) Table calorie |
| 10$^0$ | J | 8 J | Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin theoretical upper limit for the energy of a cosmic ray coming from a distant source |
| 10$^1$ | deca- (daJ) | 1×10$^1$ J | Flash energy of a typical pocket camera electronic flash capacitor (100–400 μF @ 330 V) |
| 10$^1$ | deca- (daJ) | 5×10$^1$ J | The most energetic cosmic ray ever detected. Most likely a single proton traveling only very slightly slower than the speed of light. |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 1.25×10$^2$ J | Kinetic energy of a regulation (standard) baseball (5.1 oz / 145 g) thrown at 93 mph / 150 km/h (MLB average pitch speed). |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 1.5×10$^2$ - 3.6×10$^2$ J | Energy delivered by a biphasic external electric shock (defibrillation), usually during adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest. |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 3×10$^2$ J | Energy of a lethal dose of X-rays |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 3×10$^2$ J | Kinetic energy of an average person jumping as high as they can |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 3.3×10$^2$ J | Energy to melt 1 g of ice |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | > 3.6×10$^2$ J | Kinetic energy of 800 gram standard men's javelin thrown at > 30 m/s by elite javelin throwers |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 5–20×10$^2$ J | Energy output of a typical photography studio strobe light in a single flash |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 6×10$^2$ J | Use of a 10-watt flashlight for 1 minute |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 7.5×10$^2$ J | A power of 1 horsepower applied for 1 second |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 7.8×10$^2$ J | Kinetic energy of 7.26 kg standard men's shot thrown at 14.7 m/s by the world record holder Randy Barnes |
| 10$^2$ | hecto- (hJ) | 8.01×10$^2$ 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) |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 1.1×10$^3$ J | ≈ 1 British thermal unit (BTU), depending on the temperature |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 1.4×10$^3$ J | Total solar radiation received from the Sun by 1 square meter at the altitude of Earth's orbit per second (solar constant) |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 2.3×10$^3$ J | Energy to vaporize 1 g of water into steam |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 3×10$^3$ J | Lorentz force can crusher pinch |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 3.4×10$^3$ J | Kinetic energy of world-record men's hammer throw (7.26 kg thrown at 30.7 m/s in 1986) |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 3.6×10$^3$ J | ≡ 1 W·h (watt-hour) |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 4.2×10$^3$ J | Energy released by explosion of 1 gram of TNT |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 4.2×10$^3$ J | ≈ 1 food Calorie (large calorie) |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | ~7×10$^3$ J | Muzzle energy of an elephant gun, e.g. firing a .458 Winchester Magnum |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 8.5×10$^3$ 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). |
| 10$^3$ | kilo- (kJ) | 9×10$^3$ J | Energy in an alkaline AA battery |
| 10$^4$ | | 1.7×10$^4$ J | Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of carbohydrates or protein |
| 10$^4$ | | 3.8×10$^4$ J | Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of fat |
| 10$^4$ | | 4–5×10$^4$ J | Energy released by the combustion of 1 gram of gasoline |
| 10$^4$ | | 5×10$^4$ J | Kinetic energy of 1 gram of matter moving at 10 km/s |
| 10$^5$ | | 3×10$^5$ – 15×10$^5$ J | Kinetic energy of an automobile at highway speeds (1 to 5 tons at 89 km/h or 55 mph) |
| 10$^5$ | | 5×10$^5$ J | Kinetic energy of 1 gram of a meteor hitting Earth |

## 10$^6$ to 10$^{11}$ J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 1×10$^6$ J | Kinetic energy of a 2 tonne vehicle at 32 metres per second (115 km/h or 72 mph) |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 1.2×10$^6$ J | Approximate food energy of a snack such as a Snickers bar (280 food calories) |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 3.6×10$^6$ J | = 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) (used for electricity) |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 4.2×10$^6$ J | Energy released by explosion of 1 kilogram of TNT |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 6.1×10$^6$ 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. |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 8.4×10$^6$ J | Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active woman (2000 food calories) |
| 10$^6$ | mega- (MJ) | 9.1×10$^6$ 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). |
| 10$^7$ | | 1×10$^7$ J | Kinetic energy of the armor-piercing round fired by the ISU-152 assault gun |
| 10$^7$ | | 1.1×10$^7$ J | Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active man (2600 food calories) |
| 10$^7$ | | 3.3×10$^7$ J | Kinetic energy of a 23 lb projectile fired by the Navy's mach 8 railgun. |
| 10$^7$ | | 3.7×10$^7$ J | $1 of electricity at a cost of $0.10/kWh (the US average retail cost in 2009) |
| 10$^7$ | | 4×10$^7$ J | Energy from the combustion of 1 cubic meter of natural gas |
| 10$^7$ | | 4.2×10$^7$ J | Caloric energy consumed by Olympian Michael Phelps on a daily basis during Olympic training |
| 10$^7$ | | 6.3×10$^7$ J | Theoretical minimum energy required to accelerate 1 kg of matter to escape velocity from Earth's surface (ignoring atmosphere) |
| 10$^7$ | | 9×10$^7$ J | Total mass-energy of 1 microgram of matter (25 kWh) |
| 10$^8$ | | 1×10$^8$ J | Kinetic energy of a 55 tonne aircraft at typical landing speed (59 m/s or 115 knots) |
| 10$^8$ | | 1.1×10$^8$ J | ≈ 1 therm, depending on the temperature |
| 10$^8$ | | 1.1×10$^8$ J | ≈ 1 Tour de France, or ~90 hours ridden at 5 W/kg by a 65 kg rider |
| 10$^8$ | | 7.3×10$^8$ J | ≈ Energy from burning 16 kilograms of oil (using 135 kg per barrel of light crude) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 1×10$^9$ J | Energy in an average lightning bolt (thunder) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 1.1×10$^9$ J | Magnetic stored energy in the world's largest toroidal superconducting magnet for the ATLAS experiment at CERN, Geneva |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 1.2×10$^9$ J | Inflight 100-ton Boeing 757-200 at 300 knots (154 m/s) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 1.4×10$^9$ J | Theoretical minimum amount of energy required to melt a tonne of steel (380 kWh) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 2×10$^9$ J | Energy of an ordinary 61 liter gasoline tank of a car. |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 2×10$^9$ J | Unit of energy in Planck units, roughly the diesel tank energy of a mid-sized truck. |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 2.49×10$^9$ J | Kinetic energy carried by American Airlines Flight 11 (767-200ER) at the moment of impact with WTC 1, 8:46:30 A.M.(EDT UTC−4:00), September 11, 2001 |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 3×10$^9$ J | Inflight 125-ton Boeing 767-200 flying at 373 knots (192 m/s) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 3.3×10$^9$ J | Approximate average amount of energy expended by a human heart muscle over an 80-year lifetime |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 3.6×10$^9$ J | = 1 MW·h (megawatt-hour) |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 4.2×10$^9$ J | Energy released by explosion of 1 ton of TNT. |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 4.5×10$^9$ J | Average annual energy usage of a standard refrigerator |
| 10$^9$ | giga- (GJ) | 6.1×10$^9$ J | ≈ 1 bboe (barrel of oil equivalent) |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 1.9×10$^{10}$ J | Kinetic energy of an Airbus A380 at cruising speed (560 tonnes at 511 knots or 263 m/s) |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 4.2×10$^{10}$ J | ≈ 1 toe (ton of oil equivalent) |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 4.6×10$^{10}$ J | Yield energy of a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the second most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 7.3×10$^{10}$ J | Energy consumed by the average U.S. automobile in the year 2000 |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 8.6×10$^{10}$ J | ≈ 1 MW·d (megawatt-day), used in the context of power plants (24 MW·h) |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 8.8×10$^{10}$ J | Total energy released in the nuclear fission of one gram of uranium-235 |
| 10$^{10}$ | | 9×10$^{10}$ J | Total mass-energy of 1 milligram of matter (25 MW·h) |
| 10$^{11}$ | | 1.1×10$^{11}$ J | Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at lightning speed (120 km/s = 270,000 mph = 435,000 km/h). |
| 10$^{11}$ | | 2.4×10$^{11}$ J | Approximate food energy consumed by an average human in an 80-year lifetime. |

## 10$^{12}$ to 10$^{17}$ J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 1.85×10$^{12}$ J | Gravitational potential energy of the Twin Towers, combined, accumulated throughout their construction and released during the collapse of the complex. |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 3.4×10$^{12}$ J | Maximum fuel energy of an Airbus A330-300 (97,530 liters of Jet A-1) |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 3.6×10$^{12}$ J | 1 GW·h (gigawatt-hour) |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 4×10$^{12}$ J | Electricity generated by one 20-kg CANDU fuel bundle assuming ~29% thermal efficiency of reactor |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 4.2×10$^{12}$ J | Chemical energy released by the detonation of 1 kiloton of TNT |
| 10$^{12}$ | tera- (TJ) | 6.4×10$^{12}$ J | Energy contained in jet fuel in a Boeing 747-100B aircraft at max fuel capacity (183,380 liters of Jet A-1) |
| 10$^{13}$ | | 1.1×10$^{13}$ J | Energy of the maximum fuel an Airbus A380 can carry (320,000 liters of Jet A-1) |
| 10$^{13}$ | | 1.2×10$^{13}$ J | Orbital kinetic energy of the International Space Station (417 tonnes at 7.7 km/s) |
| 10$^{13}$ | | 1.20×10$^{13}$ 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. |
| 10$^{13}$ | | 6.3×10$^{13}$ J | Yield of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II (15 kilotons) |
| 10$^{13}$ | | 9×10$^{13}$ J | Theoretical total mass–energy of 1 gram of matter (25 GW·h) |
| 10$^{14}$ | | 1.8×10$^{14}$ J | Energy released by annihilation of 1 gram of antimatter and matter (50 GW·h) |
| 10$^{14}$ | | 3.75×10$^{14}$ J | Total energy released by the Chelyabinsk meteor. |
| 10$^{14}$ | | 6×10$^{14}$ J | Energy released by an average hurricane per day |
| 10$^{15}$ | peta- (PJ) | > 10$^{15}$ J | Energy released by a severe thunderstorm |
| 10$^{15}$ | peta- (PJ) | 1×10$^{15}$ J | Yearly electricity consumption in Greenland as of 2008 |
| 10$^{15}$ | peta- (PJ) | 4.2×10$^{15}$ J | Energy released by explosion of 1 megaton of TNT |
| 10$^{16}$ | | 1×10$^{16}$ J | Estimated impact energy released in forming Meteor Crater |
| 10$^{16}$ | | 1.1×10$^{16}$ J | Yearly electricity consumption in Mongolia as of 2010 |
| 10$^{16}$ | | 6.3×10$^{16}$ J | Yield of Castle Bravo, the most powerful nuclear weapon tested by the United States |
| 10$^{16}$ | | 7.9×10$^{16}$ 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). |
| 10$^{16}$ | | 9×10$^{16}$ J | Mass–energy of 1 kilogram of antimatter (or matter) |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 1.4×10$^{17}$ J | Seismic energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 1.7×10$^{17}$ J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each second |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 2.1×10$^{17}$ J | Yield of the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested (50 megatons) |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 2.552×10$^{17}$ J | Total energy of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 4.2×10$^{17}$ J | Yearly electricity consumption of Norway as of 2008 |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 4.516×10$^{17}$ J | Energy needed to accelerate one ton of mass to 0.1c (~30,000 km/s) |
| 10$^{17}$ | | 8.4x10$^{17}$ J | Estimated energy released by the eruption of the Indonesian volcano, Krakatoa, in 1883 |

## 10$^{18}$ to 10$^{23}$ J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^{18}$ | exa- (EJ) | 9.4×10$^{18}$ J | Worldwide nuclear-powered electricity output in 2023. |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 1×10$^{19}$ J | Thermal energy released by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 1.1×10$^{19}$ J | Seismic energy released by the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 1.2×10$^{19}$ J | Explosive yield of global nuclear arsenal (2.86 Gigatons) |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 1.4×10$^{19}$ J | Yearly electricity consumption in the U.S. as of 2009 |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 1.4×10$^{19}$J | Yearly electricity production in the U.S. as of 2009 |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 5×10$^{19}$ J | Energy released in 1 day by an average hurricane in producing rain (400 times greater than the wind energy) |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 6.4×10$^{19}$ J | Yearly electricity consumption of the world as of 2008 |
| 10$^{19}$ | | 6.8×10$^{19}$ J | Yearly electricity generation of the world as of 2008 |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 1.4×10$^{20}$ J | Total energy released in the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 2.33×10$^{20}$ J | Kinetic energy of a carbonaceous chondrite meteor 1 km in diameter striking Earth's surface at 20 km/s. Such an impact occurs every ~500,000 years. |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 2.4×10$^{20}$ J | Total latent heat energy released by Hurricane Katrina |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 5×10$^{20}$ J | Total world annual energy consumption in 2010 |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 6.2×10$^{20}$ J | World primary energy generation in 2023 (620 EJ). |
| 10$^{20}$ | | 8×10$^{20}$ J | Estimated global uranium resources for generating electricity 2005 |
| 10$^{21}$ | zetta- (ZJ) | 6.9×10$^{21}$ J | Estimated energy contained in the world's natural gas reserves as of 2010 |
| 10$^{21}$ | zetta- (ZJ) | 7.0×10$^{21}$ J | Thermal energy released by the Toba eruption |
| 10$^{21}$ | zetta- (ZJ) | 7.9×10$^{21}$ J | Estimated energy contained in the world's petroleum reserves as of 2010 |
| 10$^{21}$ | zetta- (ZJ) | 9.3×10$^{21}$ J | Annual net uptake of thermal energy by the global ocean during 2003-2018 |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 1.2×10$^{22}$J | Seismic energy of a magnitude 11 earthquake on Earth (M 11) |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 1.5×10$^{22}$J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each day |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 1.94×10$^{22}$J | Impact event that formed the Siljan Ring, the largest impact structure in Europe |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 2.4×10$^{22}$ J | Estimated energy contained in the world's coal reserves as of 2010 |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 2.9×10$^{22}$ J | Identified global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 3.9×10$^{22}$ J | Estimated energy contained in the world's fossil fuel reserves as of 2010 |
| 10$^{22}$ | | 8.03×10$^{22}$ J | Total energy of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake |
| 10$^{23}$ | | 1.5×10$^{23}$ J | Total energy of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake |
| 10$^{23}$ | | 2.2×10$^{23}$ J | Total global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology |
| 10$^{23}$ | | 3×10$^{23}$ J | The energy released in the formation of the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula |

## Over 10$^{24}$ J

List of orders of magnitude for energy :
| Factor (joules) | SI prefix | Value | Item |
| 10$^{24}$ | yotta- (YJ) | 2.31×10$^{24}$ J | Total energy of the Sudbury impact event |
| 10$^{24}$ | yotta- (YJ) | 2.69×10$^{24}$ J | Rotational energy of Venus, which has a sidereal period of (-)243 Earth days. |
| 10$^{24}$ | yotta- (YJ) | 3.8×10$^{24}$ J | Radiative heat energy released from the Earth’s surface each year |
| 10$^{24}$ | yotta- (YJ) | 5.5×10$^{24}$ J | Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each year |
| 10$^{25}$ | | 4×10$^{25}$ J | Total energy of the Carrington Event in 1859 |
| 10$^{26}$ | | >10$^{26}$J | Estimated energy of early Archean asteroid impacts |
| 10$^{26}$ | | 3.2×10$^{26}$ 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. |
| 10$^{26}$ | | 3.828×10$^{26}$ J | Total radiative energy output of the Sun each second |
| 10$^{27}$ | ronna- (RJ) | 1×10$^{27}$ J | Estimated energy released by the impact that created the Caloris basin on Mercury |
| 10$^{27}$ | ronna- (RJ) | 1×10$^{27}$ J | Upper limit of the most energetic solar flares possible (X1000) |
| 10$^{27}$ | ronna- (RJ) | 5.19×10$^{27}$ J | Thermal input necessary to evaporate all surface water on Earth. Note that the evaporated water still remains on Earth, merely in vapor form. |
| 10$^{27}$ | ronna- (RJ) | 4.2×10$^{27}$ 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). |
| 10$^{28}$ | | 3.8×10$^{28}$ J | Kinetic energy of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth (counting only its velocity relative to the Earth) |
| 10$^{28}$ | | 7×10$^{28}$ J | Total energy of the stellar superflare from V1355 Orionis |
| 10$^{29}$ | | 2.1×10$^{29}$ J | Rotational energy of the Earth |
| 10$^{30}$ | quetta- (QJ) | 1.79×10$^{30}$ J | Rough estimate of the gravitational binding energy of Mercury. |
| 10$^{31}$ | | 2×10$^{31}$ J | The Theia Impact, the most energetic event ever in Earth's history |
| 10$^{31}$ | | 3.3×10$^{31}$J | Total energy output of the Sun each day |
| 10$^{32}$ | | 1.71×10$^{32}$ J | Gravitational binding energy of the Earth |
| 10$^{32}$ | | 3.10×10$^{32}$ 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. |
| 10$^{33}$ | | 2.7×10$^{33}$ J | Earth's kinetic energy at perihelion in its orbit around the Sun |
| 10$^{34}$ | | 1.2×10$^{34}$ J | Total energy output of the Sun each year |
| 10$^{35}$ | | 3.5×10$^{35}$ J | The most energetic stellar superflare to date (V2487 Ophiuchi) |
| 10$^{38}$ | | 7.53×10$^{38}$ J | Baryonic (ordinary) mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic light-year, on average. |
| 10$^{39}$ | | 2–5×10$^{39}$ J | Energy of the giant flare (starquake) released by SGR 1806-20 |
| 10$^{39}$ | | 6.602×10$^{39}$ J | Theoretical total mass–energy of the Moon |
| 10$^{40}$ | | 1.61×10$^{40}$ J | Baryonic mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic parsec, on average. |
| 10$^{41}$ | | 2.276×10$^{41}$ J | Gravitational binding energy of the Sun |
| 10$^{41}$ | | 5.3675×10$^{41}$ J | Theoretical total mass–energy of the Earth |
| 10$^{43}$ | | 5×10$^{43}$ J | Total energy of all gamma rays in a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated |
| 10$^{43}$ | | >10$^{43}$ J | Total energy in a typical fast blue optical transient (FBOT) |
| 10$^{44}$ | | ~10$^{44}$ J | Average value of a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) in optical/UV bands |
| 10$^{44}$ | | ~10$^{44}$ J | Estimated kinetic energy released by FBOT CSS161010 |
| 10$^{44}$ | | ~10$^{44}$ J | Total energy released in a typical supernova, sometimes referred to as a foe. |
| 10$^{44}$ | | 1.233×10$^{44}$ J | Approximate lifetime energy output of the Sun. |
| 10$^{44}$ | | 3×10$^{44}$ J | Total energy of a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated |
| 10$^{45}$ | | ~10$^{45}$ J | Estimated energy released in a hypernova and pair instability supernova |
| 10$^{45}$ | | 10$^{45}$ J | Energy released by the energetic supernova, SN 2016aps |
| 10$^{45}$ | | 1.7–1.9×10$^{45}$ J | Energy released by hypernova ASASSN-15lh |
| 10$^{45}$ | | 2.3×10$^{45}$ J | Energy released by the energetic supernova PS1-10adi |
| 10$^{45}$ | | >10$^{45}$ J | Estimated energy of a magnetorotational hypernova |
| 10$^{45}$ | | >10$^{45}$ J | Total energy (energy in gamma rays+relativistic kinetic energy) of hyper-energetic gamma-ray burst if collimated |
| 10$^{46}$ | | >10$^{46}$ J | Estimated energy in theoretical quark-novae |
| 10$^{46}$ | | ~10$^{46}$ J | Upper limit of the total energy of a supernova |
| 10$^{46}$ | | 1.5×10$^{46}$ J | Total energy of the most energetic optical non-quasar transient, AT2021lwx |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 10$^{45-47}$ J | Estimated energy of stellar mass rotational black holes by vacuum polarization in an electromagnetic field |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 10$^{47}$ J | Total energy of a very energetic and relativistic jetted Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) |
| 10$^{47}$ | | ~10$^{47}$ J | Upper limit of collimated- corrected total energy of a gamma-ray burst |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 1.8×10$^{47}$ J | Theoretical total mass–energy of the Sun |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 5.4×10$^{47}$ J | Mass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the merger of two black holes, originally about 30 Solar masses each, as observed by LIGO (GW150914) |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 8.6×10$^{47}$ J | Mass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the most energetic black hole merger observed until 2020 (GW170729) |
| 10$^{47}$ | | 8.8×10$^{47}$ J | GRB 080916C – formerly the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true isotropic energy output estimated at 8.8 × 10$^{47}$ joules (8.8 × 10$^{54}$ erg), or 4.9 times the Sun's mass turned to energy |
| 10$^{48}$ | | 10$^{48}$ J | Estimated energy of a supermassive Population III star supernova, denominated "General Relativistic Instability Supernova." |
| 10$^{48}$ | | ~1.2×10$^{48}$ J | Approximate energy released in the most energetic black hole merging to date (GW190521), which originated the first intermediate-mass black hole ever detected |
| 10$^{48}$ | | 1.2–3×10$^{48}$ J | GRB 221009A – the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true isotropic energy output estimated at 1.2–3 × 10$^{48}$ joules (1.2–3 × 10$^{55}$ erg) |
| 10$^{50}$ | | ≳10$^{50}$ J | Upper limit of isotropic energy (Eiso) of Population III stars Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). |
| 10$^{53}$ | | >10$^{53}$ J | Mechanical energy of very energetic so-called "quasar tsunamis" |
| 10$^{53}$ | | 6×10$^{53}$ J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the RBS 797 |
| 10$^{53}$ | | 7.65×10$^{53}$ J | Mass-energy of Sagittarius A*, Milky Way's central supermassive black hole |
| 10$^{54}$ | | 3×10$^{54}$ J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the Hercules A (3C 348) |
| 10$^{55}$ | | >10$^{55}$ J | Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the MS 0735.6+7421, Ophiucus Supercluster Explosion and supermassive black holes mergings |
| 10$^{57}$ | | ~10$^{57}$ J | Estimated rotational energy of M87 SMBH and total energy of the most luminous quasars over Gyr time-scales |
| 10$^{57}$ | | ~2×10$^{57}$ J | Estimated thermal energy of the Bullet Cluster of galaxies |
| 10$^{57}$ | | 7.3×10$^{57}$ J | Mass-energy equivalent of the ultramassive black hole TON 618, an extremely luminous quasar / active galactic nucleus (AGN). |
| 10$^{58}$ | | ~10$^{58}$ J | Estimated total energy (in shockwaves, turbulence, gases heating up, gravitational force) of galaxy clusters mergings |
| 10$^{58}$ | | 4×10$^{58}$ J | Visible mass–energy in our galaxy, the Milky Way |
| 10$^{59}$ | | 1×10$^{59}$ J | Total mass–energy of our galaxy, the Milky Way, including dark matter and dark energy |
| 10$^{59}$ | | 1.4×10$^{59}$ J | Mass-energy of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), ~0.8 trillion solar masses. |
| 10$^{62}$ | | 1–2×10$^{62}$ J | Total mass–energy of the Virgo Supercluster including dark matter, the Supercluster which contains the Milky Way |
| 10$^{70}$ | | 1.462×10$^{70}$ J | Rough estimate of total mass–energy of ordinary matter (atoms; baryons) present in the observable universe. |
| 10$^{71}$ | | 3.177×10$^{71}$ J | Rough estimate of total mass-energy within our observable universe, accounting for all forms of matter and energy. |

## SI multiples

SI multiples of joule (J) :
| Submultiples | Submultiples | Submultiples | Multiples | Multiples | Multiples |
| Value | SI symbol | Name | Value | SI symbol | Name |
| 10$^{−1}$ J | dJ | decijoule | 10$^1$ J | daJ | decajoule |
| 10$^{−2}$ J | cJ | centijoule | 10$^2$ J | hJ | hectojoule |
| 10$^{−3}$ J | mJ | millijoule | 10$^3$ J | kJ | kilojoule |
| 10$^{−6}$ J | μJ | microjoule | 10$^6$ J | MJ | megajoule |
| 10$^{−9}$ J | nJ | nanojoule | 10$^9$ J | GJ | gigajoule |
| 10$^{−12}$ J | pJ | picojoule | 10$^{12}$ J | TJ | terajoule |
| 10$^{−15}$ J | fJ | femtojoule | 10$^{15}$ J | PJ | petajoule |
| 10$^{−18}$ J | aJ | attojoule | 10$^{18}$ J | EJ | exajoule |
| 10$^{−21}$ J | zJ | zeptojoule | 10$^{21}$ J | ZJ | zettajoule |
| 10$^{−24}$ J | yJ | yoctojoule | 10$^{24}$ J | YJ | yottajoule |
| 10$^{−27}$ J | rJ | rontojoule | 10$^{27}$ J | RJ | ronnajoule |
| 10$^{−30}$ J | qJ | quectojoule | 10$^{30}$ J | QJ | quettajoule |
The joule is named after James Prescott Joule. As with every SI unit named for 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.