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What is power?
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Learn what power means and how we use it to describe the rate of energy transfer.
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Much like
~ s energy, the word power isa something we hear a lot. In everyday life it has a wide range of
meanings.
t\ s, s In physics however,sit hasc a very specificsmeaning. It is a measure of the rate at which work
is
em done u(or u similarly, at which energy
u t is transferred).u
The ability to accurately measure power was one of the key abilities which allowed early engineers to
xadevelopbsthe b steam engines which b drovei the industrial b revolution. It continues to be essential for
tunderstanding sts how to best make s useoof the energy resources
s which drive the modern world.
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How do we measure power?

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,{The standard p p unit used to measure p power7 is the wattpwhich has the symbol \W.sThe unit is named after
kthe Scottish tft s inventor and industrialist
t 5 James Watt. You t have probably comet across
t the watt often in
pgeveryday ,r, life.
p The power output , of electrical
, ,
equipment such as light bulbseorastereos is typically
,}advertised a ina watts. x r
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By definition, one watt is equal to one joule of work done per second. So if PP P represents power in
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watts, \ΔEdis the change in energy (number of joules) and \Δtdis the time taken in seconds then:
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D e, De
dP=ΔtΔE
= e o r r c r } e
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o1There isnnalso t t e t x
l t s another unit of power which is still widely used: l t the horsepower. This is usually given the
t\symbol dhp , , t of a typical horse when
t a tand has its origins in the 17th century where ittreferred a to the power
etfbeing used t t t ,
a , ato turn a capstan. Since then, a metric horsepower a , has been defined as the power required to
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erlift a 775sdkg e rmass through a distance
e kof 1 meter in 1 second.
e So how much power is this in watts?
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Well, we know that when being lifted against gravity, a t t acquires gravitational potential energy E
mass Ep
,9tc ~ blt t t ,
.{ ⋅g\⋅h.stSo
=m , t putting in the numbers
, we
g have: , _
e8h\1 s75tkg⋅ ca 9.807 p
e m/s2⋅1 m=735.5 W, e
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[Wait.
u}7e I thought one horsepower was equal to 746 W?] =
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a=
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How do we measure varying power? l7~
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In many
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d, where energy resources are being used, the rate of usage varies x over time. The c
typical d
.aE } usage
ei of electricityPin aghouse s (see Figure 1)eis one such example. We tsee minimal usage during
75t}the day,qvfollowed t g by peaks_ when, mealsp are preparedP nand an extended period of higher usage for o
43h{eveningPuilighting e, and heating.
\ a _ d t
5\r _adxat least three ways t inewhich c \
There are power is expressed which are relevant here: Instantaneous g
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D \ let e e n e t t
power Pi, average power Pavg and peak power Ppk. It is important for the electricity company to keep
e{track oftsdall , n d
x different
of these. In fact,
, e e are often brought to bear in addressing each of\
energy resources
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• Instantaneous power is the power measured at a given instant in time. If we consider the equation for
power, PP=ΔE/Δt,Pthen this is the measurement we get when \Δtdis extremely small. If you are lucky
enough to have a, plot of power vs time, the instantaneous power
D e is simply the value you would read
from the= plot at any given time. e l
• Average power is the power measured over a long period, i.e., when \Δtdin the equation for power is
e l t
very large. One way to calculate this is to find the area under the power
D evs time curve (which gives the
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total work done) and divide by the total time. This is usually best done
e lwith calculus, but it is often
possibleDto estimate
u it reasonably accurately just using geometry.
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• Peak power a maximum value the instantaneous power can have in a particular system over a long
is the
t a
period. lCar engines
l and stereo systems are example of systems t t which have the ability to deliver a peak
power which is much higher than their rated average power. However,a it
, is usually only possible to
t s
maintaina this power
, for a short time if damage is to be avoided. Nevertheless, in these applications a
high peak power might be more important to the driving or listening texperience
t than a high average
power.
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