?:definition
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A unit of energy defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of pure water by one degree Centigrade under standard conditions (the specific heat of the water at 15 degrees Celsius and the constant pressure of 101.325 kilopascals or one atm being defined as unity), equal to approximately 4.1855 kJ. It is also is used by nutritionists in measuring the energy-producing potential of food as a unit of potential energy contained by a substance, which can be liberated when the material is oxidized, usually by combustion in the presence of oxygen.(NCI)
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