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LAB 2 - What's A Watt? Energy Survey Scavenger Hunt
LAB 2 - What's A Watt? Energy Survey Scavenger Hunt
Lab Activity
Student Guide
Task #1 – Electrical Measurements (AC) ratings and not the output (DC)
and Units ratings.
Review the following online presentations to 5. For each UUT and for the listed
better understand some of the electrical conditions (“on,” “high,” “low,” etc.),
quantities and units of measurement that you read the measured value from the Kill-A-
will measure in this activity. Watt. Push the button under the Kill-A-
Watt LCD display to select each value.
1. Power Factor The watts/VA, Hz/PF, and KWH/Hour
2. Power Factor Correction buttons are toggle functions. Press once
to select function, and a second time to
see the other value. Be sure to look at the
Task #2 – Power Survey LCD display to see which units are
You are assigned the role of a facilities being displayed:
technician, with the responsibility for Volts: The source voltage supplied to the
reducing the monthly electricity bill. Your UUT, typically 115 to 120 Volts
supervisor has prepared a list of several Amps: The current flowing through the
devices that are left on during the business UUT, displayed in Amps
day, and several measurements that she has Watts: The power consumed by the
requested that you take to determine areas of UUT, displayed in Watts
potential savings. VA: The apparent power, which is the
voltage multiplied by the amperage, in
1. Download the lab worksheet VA
Engr43Lab1.xlsx from the GoogleDocs Hz: The frequency (cycles per second)
link. Open the file in Excel and print one of the AC voltage, displayed in Hertz
page to use as a worksheet as you collect PF: The power factor for the UUT
the data. KWH: Kilowatt-hours, which is the total
2. Locate each of the stations where a Kill- energy consumed.
A-Watt power monitor is connected to a Hour: Total hours:minutes that the Kill-
unit under test (UUT). Note that the A-Watt has been monitoring the UUT.
three lamps and the solder fume fan are 6. After you have collected all the data in
all at the same station, each with an Table 1, Re-open the Excel file
individual Kill-A-Watt, and a fifth Kill- Engr43Lab1.xlsx.
A-Watt connected to the outlet strip 7. Copy your handwritten data into the
powering the four UUTs. cells in Table 1. Notice that some of the
3. Move among the stations and collect the values are automatically copied into
data as shown on the worksheet. You Table 2. This happens because Table 2
may go to the devices in any sequence. uses a cell reference to copy the data
4. For each of the listed UUT, locate the from Table 1. Table 2 also uses a
electrical rating sticker (usually near the function to add the values of the four
AC power cord, or stamped on the UUT.
lamps). Record the volt, amp, and/or 8. The data from Table 2 are used to
watt ratings for the device. Note that produce the chart comparing the real
many times one of the values will not be power and apparent power for the UUTs
listed. In the case of power supplies and connected to the outlet strip. Compare
chargers, be sure to record the input this with the power factor, real power,
and apparent power for the outlet strip.
Lab 2 – What’s a Watt? 2 © 2012
ESYS 50
ESYS50
Lab Activity
Student Guide
Wattage
Which devices consume the most power? Which consume the least? What recommendations
would you make for reducing the monthly power bill in a facility that has several of all of these
devices? (Hint: If you left the Kill-a-Watt monitors connected for several days, what
measurement(s) may be more useful than power for making your recommendations)
There have been several public-service ads asking people to unplug their cell phone chargers
when not charging the phone. How effective do you think this would be?
Why do the rating labels often only list amperage or wattage? Why is voltage never omitted?