Step 1: Understanding the calorie-to-joule conversion
A calorie is a unit of energy commonly used in thermodynamics. The conversion factor is:
\[
1 \text{ cal} = 4.186 \text{ J}
\]
Step 2: Calculating the energy in joules
For 10 calories:
\[
10 \times 4.186 = 41.86 \text{ J}
\]
Step 3: Eliminating incorrect options
- \( 4.186 \) J corresponds to 1 cal, not 10 cal.
- \( 418.6 \) J is obtained by multiplying by 100 instead of 10.
- \( 0.4186 \) J is a result of dividing instead of multiplying.