Energy Scales Table
|
Phenomenon |
Energy |
| Nuclear, Atomic, and Molecular | |
| The average kinetic energy of a gas molecule at room temperature (300o Kelvin=27o Celsius=81o Fahrenheit) | 0.026 ev (1 ev = 1x10-19 Joules) |
| Van Der Waal bonds | 0.044 ev |
| Hydrogen bonds | ~0.2 ev |
| Ionic bonds | 0.17 to 0.3 ev |
| Single covalent bond | ~2 to 5 ev |
| Double covalent bond between two carbon atoms in a molecule |
6.6 ev |
| Triple covalent bond between two carbon atoms in a molecule |
8.8 ev |
| Energy required to ionize a Hydrogen atom in its ground state | 13.6 ev |
| Energy required to completely ionize an atom of Uranium | 1.2x105 ev |
| The combined energy of the photons created by the collision of a proton and antiproton | 1.9x106 ev |
| Binding energy of a Deuterium nucleus | 2.2x106 ev |
| Energy of the neutron produced in a Deuterium/Tritium fusion process | 14x106 ev |
| Biological | |
| Energy released by a single ATP molecule in ATP hydrolysis | 0.3 to 0.6 ev |
| The energy required for a single neuron to fire | ~103 ev |
| Energy required for a single bacterial cell to replicate | ~106 ev |
| The energy required for a human heart to beat once | 0.5 Joules |
| One gram of sugar | ~1.6x103 Joules |
| Energy expended by 1 day of heavy labor | 107 Joules |
| Energy in the food consumed by the average person in 1 day | 1.2x107 Joules |
| Technological/Fuel | |
| Energy stored by a AA battery | 103 Joules |
| Energy required to run a 100 Watt light bulb for 1 hour | 3.6x105 Joules |
| Amount of Solar Energy (visible light) striking 1 meter2 of the U.S. surface in one hour (Sun overhead) | ~4x105 Joules |
| Energy required to run an electric stove for 1 hour | ~4x107 Joules |
| Energy released by the combustion of one gallon of gasoline | 108 Joules |
| Electricity used by an average house for 1 year | 1010 Joules |
| Energy required to heat an average house for one year | 1011 Joules |
| Energy required for a one way transatlantic flight by a jet airliner | 1012 Joules |
| Energy required to place the space shuttle in orbit | 1013 Joules |
| Energy stored in 1 pound of Uranium 235 | 3.7x1013 Joules |
| Energy released by a one megaton Hydrogen bomb | 4x1015 Joules |
| Yearly fuel/electricity consumption of the United States | 7.3x1019 Joules |
| Geological/Atmospheric/Oceanographic | |
| Lightning bolt | 1010 Joules |
| Total energy released by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake (e.g., 1994 Northridge Earthquake) | 3.2x1014 Joules |
| Thunderstorm | 1015 Joules |
| Hurricane | 1015 Joules |
| Total energy released by a volcano (Krakatoa) | 1019 Joules |
| Fossil fuel left on Earth | 2x1023 Joules |
| Astronomical | |
| Energy released in the collision of comet Shoemaker with Jupiter | ~1023 Joules |
| Solar flare | 1024 Joules |
| Average total energy output of the Sun in a single year | ~1034 Joules |
| Energy released by a quasar in one second | ~1039 Joules |
| Energy released by a ("medium sized") supernova | ~1045 Joules |