The energy obtained from inorganic oxidation varies depending on the substrate and the reaction. For example, the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur produces far less energy (50.1 kcal/mol or 210.4 kJ/mol) than the oxidation of elemental sulfur to sulfate (149.8 kcal/mol or 629.2 kJ/mol). The majority of lithotrophs fix carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle, an energetically expensive process. For some substrates, such as ferrous iron, the cells must cull through large amounts of inorganic substrate to secure just a small amount of energy. This makes their metabolic process inefficient in many places and hinders them from thriving.