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
10−35		1×10−35 J	Optical dipole potential measured in a tune-out experiment with ultracold metastable helium.
10−34		6.626×10−34 J	Energy of a photon with a frequency of 1 hertz., equivalent to 4.14×10−15 eV or, alternatively stated, One two-hundred-fifty-trillionth of one eV.)
	8×10−34 J	Average kinetic energy of translational motion of a molecule at the lowest temperature reached (38 picokelvin as of 2021[update])
10−30	quecto- (qJ)
10−28		6.6×10−28J	Energy of a typical AM radio photon (1 MHz) (4×10−9 eV)
10−27	ronto- (rJ)
10−24	yocto- (yJ)	1.6×10−24J	Energy of a typical microwave oven photon (2.45 GHz) (1×10−5 eV)
10−23		2×10−23J	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		2×10−22 – 3×10−19J	Energy of infrared light photons
10−21	zepto- (zJ)	1.7×10−21J	1kJ/mol, converted to energy per molecule
2.1×10−21J	Thermal energy in each degree of freedom of a molecule at 25 °C (kT/2) (0.01 eV)
2.856×10−21J	By Landauer's principle, the minimum amount of energy required at 25 °C to change one bit of information
3–7×10−21J	Energy of a van der Waals interaction between atoms (0.02–0.04 eV)
4.1×10−21J	The "kT" constant at 25 °C, a common rough approximation for the total thermal energy of each molecule in a system (0.03 eV)
7–22×10−21J	Energy of a hydrogen bond (0.04 to 0.13 eV)
10−20		4.5×10−20J	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.
3–5×10−19J	Energy range of photons in visible light (≈1.6–3.1 eV)
3–14×10−19J	Energy of a covalent bond (2–9 eV)
5×10−19 – 2×10−17J	Energy of ultraviolet light photons
10−18	atto- (aJ)	1.78×10−18J	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.
2.18×10−18J	Ground state ionization energy of hydrogen (13.6 eV)
10−17		2×10−17 – 2×10−14J	Energy range of X-ray photons
10−16
10−15	femto- (fJ)	3 × 10−15J	Average kinetic energy of one human red blood cell.
10−14		1×10−14J	Sound energy (vibration) transmitted to the eardrums by listening to a whisper for one second.
> 2×10−14J	Energy of gamma ray photons
2.7×10−14J	Upper bound of the mass–energy of a muon neutrino
8.2×10−14J	Rest mass–energy of an electron (0.511 MeV)
10−13		1.6×10−13J	1 megaelectronvolt (MeV)
2.3×10−13J	Energy released by a single event of two protons fusing into deuterium (1.44 megaelectronvolt MeV)
10−12	pico- (pJ)	2.3×10−12J	Kinetic energy of neutrons produced by DT fusion, used to trigger fission (14.1 MeV)
10−11		1.3646×10−11J	Energy consumed for one floating-point operation by KAIROS, the most energy-efficient supercomputer as of November 2025
3.4×10−11J	Average total energy released in the nuclear fission of one uranium-235 atom (215 MeV)
10−10		1.492×10−10J	Mass-energy equivalent of 1 Da (931.5 MeV)
1.503×10−10J	Rest mass–energy of a proton (938.3 MeV)
1.505×10−10J	Rest mass–energy of a neutron (939.6 MeV)
1.6×10−10J	1 gigaelectronvolt (GeV)
3×10−10J	Rest mass–energy of a deuteron
6×10−10J	Rest mass–energy of an alpha particle
7×10−10J	Energy required to raise a grain of sand by 0.1mm (the thickness of a piece of paper).
10−9	nano- (nJ)	1.6×10−9J	10 GeV
8×10−9J	Initial operating energy per beam of the CERN Large Electron Positron Collider in 1989 (50 GeV)
10−8		1.3×10−8J	Mass–energy of a W boson (80.4 GeV)
1.5×10−8J	Mass–energy of a Z boson (91.2 GeV)
1.6×10−8J	100 GeV
2×10−8J	Mass–energy of the Higgs Boson (125.1 GeV)
6.4×10−8J	Operating energy per proton of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator in 1976
10−7		1×10−7J	≡ 1 erg
1.6×10−7J	1 TeV (teraelectronvolt), about the kinetic energy of a flying mosquito
10−6	micro- (μJ)	1.04×10−6J	Energy per proton in the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015 (6.5 TeV)
10−5
10−4		1.0×10−4J	Energy released by a typical radioluminescent wristwatch in 1 hour (1 μCi × 4.871 MeV × 1 hr)
10−3	milli- (mJ)	3.0×10−3J	Energy released by a P100 atomic battery in 1 hour (2.4 V × 350 nA × 1 hr)
10−2	centi- (cJ)	4.0×10−2J	Use of a typical LED for 1 second (2.0 V × 20 mA × 1 s)
10−1	deci- (dJ)	1.1×10−1J	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
100	J	1J	≡ 1 N·m (newton–metre)
1J	≡ 1 W·s (watt-second)
1J	Kinetic energy produced as an extra small apple (~100 grams) falls 1 meter against Earth's gravity
1J	Energy required to heat 1 gram of dry, cool air by 1 degree Celsius
1.4J	≈ 1 ft·lbf (foot-pound force)
4.184J	≡ 1 thermochemical calorie (small calorie)
4.1868J	≡ 1 International (Steam) Table calorie
8J	Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin theoretical upper limit for the energy of a cosmic ray coming from a distant source
101	deca- (daJ)	10J	Flash energy of a typical pocket camera electronic flash capacitor (100–400 μF @ 330 V)
50J	The most energetic cosmic ray ever detected.
102	hecto- (hJ)	1.25×102J	Kinetic energy of a regulation (standard) baseball (5.1 oz / 145 g) thrown at 93 mph / 150 km/h (MLB average pitch speed).
1.5×102 - 3.6×102J	Energy delivered by a biphasic external electric shock (defibrillation), usually during adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest.
3×102J	Energy of a lethal dose of X-rays
3×102J	Kinetic energy of an average person jumping as high as they can
3.3×102J	Energy to melt 1 g of ice
> 3.6×102J	Kinetic energy of 800 gram standard men's javelin thrown at > 30 m/s by elite javelin throwers
5×102 – 2×103J	Energy output of a typical photography studio strobe light in a single flash
6×102J	Use of a 10-watt flashlight for 1 minute
7.5×102J	A power of 1 horsepower applied for 1 second
7.8×102J	Kinetic energy of 7.26 kg standard men's shot thrown at 14.7 m/s[citation needed] by the world record holder Randy Barnes
8.01×102J	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)	1.1×103J	≈ 1 British thermal unit (BTU), depending on the temperature
1.4×103J	Total solar radiation received from the Sun by 1 square meter at the altitude of Earth's orbit per second (solar constant)
2.3×103J	Energy to vaporize 1 g of water into steam
3×103J	Lorentz force can crusher pinch
3.4×103J	Kinetic energy of world-record men's hammer throw (7.26 kg thrown at 30.7 m/s in 1986)
3.6×103J	≡ 1 W·h (watt-hour)
4.2×103J	Energy released by explosion of 1 gram of TNT
4.2×103J	≈ 1 food Calorie (large calorie)
~7×103J	Muzzle energy of an elephant gun, e.g. firing a .458 Winchester Magnum
8.5×103J	Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at the speed of sound (343m/s = 767mph = 1,235km/h. Air, 20 °C).
9×103J	Energy in an alkaline AA battery
104		1.7×104J	Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of carbohydrates or protein
3.8×104J	Energy released by the metabolism of 1 gram of fat
4–5×104J	Energy released by the combustion of 1 gram of gasoline
5×104J	Kinetic energy of 1 gram of matter moving at 10 km/s
105		3×105 – 1.5×106J	Kinetic energy of an automobile at highway speeds (1 to 5 tons at 89 km/h or 55 mph)

10 6 to 10 11 J

List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules)	SI prefix	Value	Item
106	mega- (MJ)	1×106J	Kinetic energy of a 2 tonne vehicle at 32 metres per second (115 km/h or 72 mph)
1.2×106J	Approximate food energy of a snack such as a Snickers bar (280 food calories)
3.6×106J	= 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) (used for electricity)
4.2×106J	Energy released by explosion of 1 kilogram of TNT
6.1×106J	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.
8.4×106J	Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active woman (2000 food calories)
9.1×106J	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).
107		1×107J	Kinetic energy of the armor-piercing round fired by the ISU-152 assault gun[citation needed]
1.1×107J	Recommended food energy intake per day for a moderately active man (2600 food calories)
3.3×107J	Kinetic energy of a 23 lb projectile fired by the Navy's mach 8 railgun.
3.7×107J	$1 of electricity at a cost of $0.10/kWh (the US average retail cost in 2009)
4×107J	Energy from the combustion of 1 cubic meter of natural gas
4.2×107J	Caloric energy consumed by Olympian Michael Phelps on a daily basis during Olympic training
6.3×107J	Theoretical minimum energy required to accelerate 1 kg of matter to escape velocity from Earth's surface (ignoring atmosphere)
9×107J	Total mass-energy of 1 microgram of matter (25 kWh)
108		1×108J	Kinetic energy of a 55 tonne aircraft at typical landing speed (59 m/s or 115 knots)[citation needed]
1.1×108J	≈ 1 therm, depending on the temperature
1.1×108J	≈ 1 Tour de France, or ~90 hours ridden at 5 W/kg by a 65 kg rider
7.3×108J	≈ Energy from burning 16 kilograms of oil (using 135 kg per barrel of light crude)[citation needed]
109	giga- (GJ)	1×109J	Energy in an average lightning bolt (thunder)
1.1×109J	Magnetic stored energy in the world's largest toroidal superconducting magnet for the ATLAS experiment at CERN, Geneva
1.2×109J	Inflight 100-ton Boeing 757-200 at 300 knots (154 m/s)
1.4×109J	Theoretical minimum amount of energy required to melt a tonne of steel (380 kWh)
1.77×109J	Theoretical minimum energy required for a 1 kg object on Jupiter to accelerate to Jupiter's escape velocity and thus leave its gravity well.
2×109J	Combustion energy of 61 liters of gasoline in a standard fuel tank of a car.
2×109J	Derived unit of energy in Planck units, roughly the diesel tank energy of a mid-sized truck. Its mass-equivalent is the Planck mass.
2.49×109J	Approximate kinetic energy carried by American Airlines Flight 11 at the moment of impact with WTC 1 on September 11, 2001.
3×109J	Inflight 125-ton Boeing 767-200 flying at 373 knots (192 m/s)
3.3×109J	Approximate average amount of energy expended by a human heart muscle over an 80-year lifetime
3.6×109J	= 1 MW·h (megawatt-hour)
4.2×109J	Energy released by explosion of 1 ton of TNT.
4.5×109J	Average annual energy usage of a standard refrigerator
6.1×109J	≈ 1 bboe (barrel of oil equivalent)
1010		1.9×1010J	Kinetic energy of an Airbus A380 at cruising speed (560 tonnes at 511 knots or 263 m/s)
4.2×1010J	≈ 1 toe (ton of oil equivalent)
4.6×1010J	Yield energy of a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the second most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed
7.3×1010J	Energy consumed by the average U.S. automobile in the year 2000
8.6×1010J	≈ 1 MW·d (megawatt-day), used in the context of power plants (24 MW·h)
8.8×1010J	Total energy released in the nuclear fission of one gram of uranium-235
9×1010J	Total mass-energy of 1 milligram of matter (25 MW·h)
1011		1.1×1011J	Kinetic energy of a regulation baseball thrown at lightning speed (120 km/s = 270,000 mph = 435,000 km/h).
2.4×1011J	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
1012	tera- (TJ)	1.85×1012J	Gravitational potential energy of the Twin Towers, combined, accumulated throughout their construction and released during the collapse of the complex.
3.4×1012J	Maximum fuel energy of an Airbus A330-300 (97,530 liters of Jet A-1)
3.6×1012J	1 GW·h (gigawatt-hour)
4×1012J	Electricity generated by one 20-kg CANDU fuel bundle assuming ~29% thermal efficiency of reactor
4.2×1012J	Chemical energy released by the detonation of 1 kiloton of TNT
6.4×1012J	Energy contained in jet fuel in a Boeing 747-100B aircraft at max fuel capacity (183,380 liters of Jet A-1)
1013		1.1×1013J	Energy of the maximum fuel an Airbus A380 can carry (320,000 liters of Jet A-1)
1.2×1013J	Orbital kinetic energy of the International Space Station (417 tonnes at 7.7 km/s)
1.20×1013J	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.
6.3×1013J	Yield of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II (15 kilotons)
9×1013J	Theoretical total mass–energy of 1 gram of matter (25 GW·h)
1014		1.8×1014J	Energy released by annihilation of 1 gram of antimatter and matter (50 GW·h)
3.75×1014J	Total energy released by the Chelyabinsk meteor.
6×1014J	Energy released by an average hurricane per day
1015	peta- (PJ)	> 1015J	Energy released by a severe thunderstorm
1×1015J	Yearly electricity consumption in Greenland as of 2008
4.2×1015J	Energy released by explosion of 1 megaton of TNT
1016		1×1016J	Estimated impact energy released in forming Meteor Crater[citation needed]
1.1×1016J	Yearly electricity consumption in Mongolia as of 2010
6.3×1016J	Yield of Castle Bravo, the most powerful nuclear weapon tested by the United States
7.9×1016J	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).
9×1016J	Mass–energy of 1 kilogram of matter
1017		1.4×1017J	Seismic energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
1.7×1017J	Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each second
2.1×1017J	Yield of the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested (50 megatons)
2.552×1017J	Total energy of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption
4.2×1017J	Yearly electricity consumption of Norway as of 2008
4.516×1017J	Energy needed to accelerate one ton of mass to 0.1c (~30,000 km/s)
8.4×1017J	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
1018	exa- (EJ)	9.4×1018J	Worldwide nuclear-powered electricity output in 2023.
1019		1×1019J	Thermal energy released by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption
1.1×1019J	Seismic energy released by the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake
1.2×1019J	Explosive yield of global nuclear arsenal (2.86 Gigatons)
1.4×1019J	Yearly electricity consumption in the U.S. as of 2009
1.4×1019J	Yearly electricity production in the U.S. as of 2009
5×1019J	Energy released in 1 day by an average hurricane in producing rain (400 times greater than the wind energy)
6.4×1019J	Yearly electricity consumption of the world as of 2008[update]
6.8×1019J	Yearly electricity generation of the world as of 2008[update]
1020		1.4×1020J	Total energy released in the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption (30 Gigatons TNT equivalent)
2.33×1020J	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.
2.4×1020J	Total latent heat energy released by Hurricane Katrina
5×1020J	Total world annual energy consumption in 2010
6.2×1020J	World primary energy generation in 2023 (620 EJ).
8×1020J	Estimated global uranium resources for generating electricity 2005
1021	zetta- (ZJ)	6.9×1021J	Estimated energy contained in the world's natural gas reserves as of 2010
7.0×1021J	Thermal energy released by the Toba eruption (1.6 Teratons TNT equivalent)
7.9×1021J	Estimated energy contained in the world's petroleum reserves as of 2010
9.3×1021J	Annual net uptake of thermal energy by the global ocean during 2003-2018
1022		1.2×1022J	Seismic energy of a magnitude 11 earthquake on Earth (M 11)
1.5×1022J	Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each day
1.94×1022J	Impact event that formed the Siljan Ring, the largest impact structure in Europe
2.4×1022J	Estimated energy contained in the world's coal reserves as of 2010
2.9×1022J	Identified global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology
3.9×1022J	Estimated energy contained in the world's fossil fuel reserves as of 2010
4.0×1022J	Mass-energy equivalent of the International Space Station (ISS), weighing around 450 tons.
8.03×1022J	Total energy of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
1023		1.5×1023J	Total energy of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake
2.2×1023J	Total global uranium-238 resources using fast reactor technology
3×1023J	The energy released in the formation of the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatán Peninsula (71.5 Teraton TNT equivalent)

Over 10 24 J

List of orders of magnitude for energy
Factor (joules)	SI prefix	Value	Item
1024	yotta- (YJ)	2.31×1024J	Total energy of the Sudbury impact event (550 Teraton TNT equivalent)
2.69×1024J	Rotational energy of Venus, which has a sidereal period of (-)243 Earth days. The anomalously low value derives its origin from the deceleration of its rotation by atmospheric tides induced by the Sun.
3.8×1024J	Radiative heat energy released from the Earth's surface each year
5.5×1024J	Total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each year
1025		4×1025J	Total energy of the Carrington Event in 1859
1026		>1026J	Estimated energy of early Archean asteroid impacts
3.2×1026J	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.
3.828×1026J	Total radiative energy output of the Sun per second, as defined by the IAU.
1027	ronna- (RJ)	1×1027J	Estimated energy released by the impact that created the Caloris basin on Mercury. (238 Petatons TNT equivalent)
1×1027J	Upper limit of the most energetic solar flares possible (X1000)
5.19×1027J	Thermal input necessary to evaporate all surface water on Earth. Note that the evaporated water still remains on Earth, merely in vapor form.
4.2×1027J	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 60mph (~50J). (1 Exaton TNT equivalent)
1028		3.845×1028J	Kinetic energy of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth (counting only its velocity relative to the Earth)
7×1028J	Total energy of the stellar superflare from V1355 Orionis
1029		2.1×1029J	Rotational energy of the Earth
1030	quetta-(QJ)	1.79×1030J	Rough estimate of the gravitational binding energy of Mercury.
1031		2×1031J	The Theia Impact, the most energetic event ever in Earth's history
3.3×1031J	Total energy output of the Sun each day
1032		1.71×1032J	Gravitational binding energy of the Earth
3.10×1032J	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.
1033		2.7×1033J	Earth's kinetic energy at perihelion in its orbit around the Sun
1034		1.2×1034J	Total energy output of the Sun each year
4.13×1034J	Rotational energy of Jupiter, calculated using an updated value for the moment of inertia factor of 0.26393 ± 0.00001.
1035		3.5×1035J	The most energetic stellar superflare to date (V2487 Ophiuchi)
1038		7.53×1038J	Baryonic (ordinary) mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic light-year, on average.
1039		2–5×1039 J	Energy of the giant flare (starquake) released by SGR 1806-20
6.60×1039 J	Theoretical total mass–energy of the Moon
1040		1.61×1040J	Baryonic mass-energy contained in a volume of one cubic parsec, on average.
1041		2.28×1041J	Gravitational binding energy of the Sun
5.37×1041J	Mass–energy equivalent of the Earth
1043		5×1043J	Total energy of all gamma rays in a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated
>1043 J	Total energy in a typical fast blue optical transient (FBOT)
1044		~1044 J	Average value of a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) in optical/UV bands
~1044 J	Estimated kinetic energy released by FBOT CSS161010
~1044J	Total energy released in a typical supernova, sometimes referred to as a foe.
1.23×1044J	Approximate lifetime energy output of the Sun.
1.71×1044J	Mass-energy equivalent of Jupiter, the most massive planet in our Solar System
3×1044 J	Total energy of a typical gamma-ray burst if collimated
5.8 × 1044J	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.
1045		~1045 J	Estimated energy released in a hypernova and pair instability supernova
1045 J	Energy released by the energetic supernova, SN 2016aps
1.7-1.9×1045J	Energy released by hypernova ASASSN-15lh
2.3×1045 J	Energy released by the energetic supernova PS1-10adi
>1045 J	Estimated energy of a magnetorotational hypernova
>1045J	Total energy (energy in gamma rays+relativistic kinetic energy) of hyper-energetic gamma-ray burst if collimated
1046		>1046J	Estimated energy in theoretical quark-novae
~1046J	Upper limit of the total energy of a supernova
1.5×1046J	Total energy of the most energetic optical non-quasar transient, AT2021lwx
2.5×1046J	Estimated upper limit of Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs), an extreme version of TDEs discovered in 2025
1047		1045-47 J	Estimated energy of stellar mass rotational black holes by vacuum polarization in an electromagnetic field
1047 J	Total energy of a very energetic and relativistic jetted Tidal Disruption Event (TDE)
~1047 J	Upper limit of collimated- corrected total energy of a gamma-ray burst
1.8×1047J	Theoretical total mass–energy of the Sun
5.4×1047J	Mass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the merger of two black holes, originally about 30 Solar masses each, as observed by LIGO (GW150914)
8.6×1047J	Mass–energy emitted as gravitational waves during the most energetic black hole merger observed until 2020 (GW170729)
8.8×1047J	GRB 080916C – formerly the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true isotropic energy output estimated at 8.8 × 1047 joules (8.8 × 1054 erg), or 4.9 times the Sun's mass turned to energy
1048		1048 J	Estimated energy of a supermassive Population III star supernova, denominated "General Relativistic Instability Supernova."
~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
1.2–3×1048 J	GRB 221009A – the most powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded – total/true isotropic energy output estimated at 1.2–3 × 1048 joules (1.2–3 × 1055 erg)
1050		≳1050 J	Upper limit of isotropic energy (Eiso) of Population III stars Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs).
1053		>1053 J	Mechanical energy of very energetic so-called "quasar tsunamis"
6×1053J	Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the RBS 797
7.65×1053J	Mass-energy of Sagittarius A*, Milky Way's central supermassive black hole
1054		3×1054J	Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the Hercules A (3C 348)
1055		>1055J	Total mechanical energy or enthalpy in the powerful AGN outburst in the MS 0735.6+7421, Ophiuchus Supercluster eruption and supermassive black holes mergings
1057		~1057 J	Estimated rotational energy of M87 SMBH and total energy of the most luminous quasars over Gyr time-scales
~2×1057 J	Estimated thermal energy of the Bullet Cluster of galaxies
7.3×1057 J	Mass-energy equivalent of the ultramassive black hole TON 618, an extremely luminous quasar / active galactic nucleus (AGN).
1058		~1058 J	Estimated total energy (in shockwaves, turbulence, gases heating up, gravitational force) of galaxy clusters mergings
4×1058J	Visible mass–energy in our galaxy, the Milky Way
1059		1×1059J	Total mass–energy of our galaxy, the Milky Way, including dark matter and dark energy
1.4×1059J	Mass-energy of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), ~0.8 trillion solar masses.
1062		1–2×1062J	Total mass–energy of the Virgo Supercluster including dark matter, the Supercluster which contains the Milky Way
1066		1.207×1066J	Average mass-energy of ordinary matter contained within one cubic gigaparsec in the observable universe.
1070		1.462×1070J	Rough estimate of total mass–energy of ordinary matter (atoms; baryons) present in the observable universe.
1071		3.177×1071J	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	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

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.