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Electric Power: Physics Mrs. Coyle
Electric Power: Physics Mrs. Coyle
Physics
Mrs. Coyle
http://www.cnas.missouristate.edu/assets/cnas/Wind_Power.jpg
Part I
• Electrical Power
• Joule’s Law
• Thermal Energy Expended by a Resistor
Wind Generator
Generator
Generator
Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Plant
http://www.niagarafallslive.com/images/NY_Hydro_Electric_Plant.JPG
Hydroelectric Power Plant
Remember:
P= W / t
(Power=Work/time)
So: P= I V
Electric Power, P= I V
Known as Joule’s Law
P=V2/R
P=I2R
Problem 1
• The current through a car motor is
150A. The battery used is 12V. How
much energy is supplied by the
battery in 5s?
Answer: 9,000J
kWh
kiloWatt hour
Answers:
a)0.015A, b)1.8W, c) $0.00324
Resistors Expend Thermal Energy
• Answer:
For a given P,
keep the current, I, low to
minimize “I2 R” loss in
the transmitting wires, so
increase V.
Electric heaters(Coil Heaters)
• P= V2/R
• Answer: 75W
Problem 4
A 60W light bulb is 22% efficient. How
much energy is lost to heat in 5min?
Answer: 1.4x104 J
Safety Issues
• Why is it not safe to handle electric
appliances with wet hands?
• Hint:
• A current of 15mA can cause serious
injury.
• The resistance of a dry human body is
in the range of 100,000Ω. The
resistance of a wet person can drop to
the range of 5,000Ω.
Problem 5
• A current of 1mA can be felt by a person.
Will a person feel the current if the person
has dry hands (a resistance of 100,000 Ω)
and touches a 9V battery’s terminals?