BUILDING

TECHNOLOGY II

ARCH501

VCAD( Visual College of Art And Design)

Authored by: Tadesse Admassie
ID - 899307157

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Assignment 6
ELECTRICAL DESIGN

 What is an insulator? Provide examples.

An insulator is a material that does not allow the flow of electric current easily. It is
characterized by its high resistivity, which means that it is difficult for electric charge to move
through it.
Insulators are used to prevent electrical energy from being transferred to other objects or
people, which can be dangerous. They are commonly used in electrical wiring, electronic
devices, and power lines to prevent electric shocks and to protect sensitive components from
damage.

Examples of common insulators include rubber, plastic, glass, air, and dry wood. These
materials have high resistivity and are poor conductors of electricity.

 What is a conductor? Provide examples.

A conductor is a material or object that can conduct or allow the flow of electrical current
through it. Conductors are typically metals or alloys, such as copper, aluminum, and silver, as
they have high conductivity and low resistance.
Some examples of conductors are:
 Copper wire - Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity and is widely used in
electrical wiring.
 Aluminum foil - Aluminum is also a good conductor and is used in electrical
transmission lines.
 Gold - Gold is a highly conductive metal and is used in electronics and computing
applications.
 Iron - Iron is used as a conductor in transformers and electric motors.
 Carbon - Graphite is a form of carbon that is used as a conductor in batteries and fuel
cells.
In general, any material or object that allows electricity to flow through it easily and with low
resistance can be considered a conductor.

 What is a semi-conductor? Provide examples.

A semiconductor is a material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and
an insulator. Unlike conductors, semiconductors do not conduct electricity as easily and
efficiently, but they can be manipulated to have specific electrical properties through the
addition of impurities, a process known as doping.

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Semiconductors are essential components in many electronic devices, including transistors,
solar cells, LEDs, and computer chips. They are also used in the production of sensors,
amplifiers, and other electronic components.
Examples of semiconductors include:
 Silicon (Si): Silicon is the most commonly used semiconductor material, and it is used
extensively in the production of computer chips and other electronic components.
 Germanium (Ge): Germanium was the first semiconductor material to be widely used
in electronics, but it has since been largely replaced by silicon due to its lower
performance.
 Gallium arsenide (GaAs): Gallium arsenide is used in high-speed electronic devices,
such as microwave frequency amplifiers and high-frequency switches.
 Indium phosphide (InP): Indium phosphide is used in high-speed communication
devices, such as fiber-optic networks and satellite communications.
 Zinc oxide (ZnO): Zinc oxide is used in sensors, transducers, and other electronic
devices.
 Cadmium sulfide (CdS): Cadmium sulfide is used in solar cells and photo detectors.

 What is the difference between power and energy?

Power and energy are both related to the concept of work and are frequently used in the
fields of physics, engineering, and technology. However, they are distinct concepts with
different units and meanings:
 Energy: Energy is the capacity of a system or object to do work. It is a scalar quantity
and is measured in units such as joules (J), kilowatt-hours (kWh), or calories (cal).
Energy can exist in many forms, such as kinetic energy (the energy of motion), potential
energy (the energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration), thermal
energy (the energy associated with the temperature of a system), and others. Energy is
often conserved, which means that it can neither be created nor destroyed, only
transferred or transformed from one form to another.
 Power: Power is the rate at which energy is transferred or used per unit time. It is a
vector quantity (as it has a direction) and is measured in units such as watts (W),
horsepower (hp), or BTUs per hour (BTU/h). Power describes how fast work is being
done, and it is the product of force and velocity. For example, if you lift a heavy object
to a certain height, the amount of work done is the same regardless of how long it takes
you, but the power you expend will be greater if you lift it quickly.
In summary, energy is a measure of the capacity to do work, while power is a measure of how
fast that work is being done.

 A23 W compact fluorescent lamp ( equivalent to a 100W incandescent lamp)

remains lit for 12 hr a day for one year.

 A) Determine the energy consumed over this period.

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First, we need to convert the power of the compact fluorescent lamp from watts to kilowatts,
as energy is commonly measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). We can do this by dividing the
wattage by 1000:
23 W ÷ 1000 = 0.023 kW

Next, we can calculate the energy consumption of the lamp over the course of one day:
0.023 kW x 12 hours = 0.276 kWh

This tells us that the lamp uses 0.276 kWh of energy each day it is lit.
Finally, to determine the energy consumed over the course of one year, we can multiply the
daily energy consumption by the number of days in a year (365 days):
0.276 kWh/day x 365 days = 100.74 kWh
Therefore, the energy consumed by the 23 W compact fluorescent lamp over the course of
one year, assuming it remains lit for 12 hours a day, is approximately 100.74 kWh.

 b) calculate the utility changes for this period at the rate of 0.12/kWh
First, let's calculate the energy consumption per day of the 23W compact fluorescent lamp:
23 W = 0.023 kW
0.023 kW x 12 hours/day = 0.276 kWh/day

Multiplying the energy consumption per day by the number of days in a year (365) gives us the
annual energy consumption:
0.276 kWh/day x 365 days/year = 100.74 kWh/year

To calculate the utility energy charges, we can multiply the annual energy consumption by the
rate of 0.12/kWh:
100.74 kWh/year x 0.12/kWh = $12.09
So the utility energy charges for running the 23W compact fluorescent lamp for 12 hours a day
for one year at a rate of 0.12/kWh is $12.09.

 A 100 W incandescent lamp remains remains lit for 24hr a day during a 30-day
billing period.

 A) Determine the energy consumed over this period?

The energy consumed by an electrical appliance can be calculated using the formula:
Energy = Power x Time
Where power is measured in watts (W) and time is measured in hours (h).

In this case, the power of the incandescent lamp is 100 W and it remains lit for 24 hours a day
for 30 days.
So, the energy consumed by the lamp can be calculated as:

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Energy = Power x Time
= 100 W x 24 h/day x 30 days
= 72,000 Wh or 72 kWh
Therefore, the energy consumed by the 100 W incandescent lamp over a 30-day billing period
is 72 kWh.

 b) Calculate the utility changes for this period at a rate of 0.12/kwh?

First, let's calculate the energy consumption of the lamp over the 30-day period:
Energy consumption = power x time
The power of the lamp is 100 W, and it is on for 24 hours per day for 30 days:
Energy consumption = 100 W x 24 hours/day x 30 days
Energy consumption = 72,000 Wh

To convert this to kilowatt-hours (kWh), we divide by 1,000:

Energy consumption = 72,000 Wh / 1,000
Energy consumption = 72 kWh

Next, we can calculate the total cost of the energy consumed by multiplying the energy
consumption by the rate:
Total cost = energy consumption x rate
The rate is given as $0.12/kWh:

Total cost = 72 kWh x $0.12/kWh

Total cost = $8.64
Therefore, the utility charges for the 30-day period for the 100 W incandescent lamp would be
$8.64.

 An appliance is designed for use at 120v and has a current draw of 15A.
Determine the power consumed in watts?
To determine the power consumed by the appliance, we can use the formula:
Power (in watts) = Voltage (in volts) x Current (in amperes)
Given that the appliance is designed for use at 120V and has a current draw of 15A, we can
substitute these values in the formula:

Power = 120V x 15A

Power = 1800 watts
Therefore, the power consumed by the appliance is 1800 watts.