Electric Power - (Physics 3)

How batteries maintain a potential difference across terminals

By converting chemical energy to electrical potential energy

Kinetic energy conversion From electrical potential energy

As charge carriers move from higher to lower electrical potential energy

Generators convert

Mechanical energy into electrical energy

Direct current (dc)

Charges move in only one direction with negative charges moving from a lower to higher electrical potential potential

Alternating current (ac)

The terminals of the source of potential difference are constantly changing sign (no net motion of the charge carriers)

Electric power

The rate at which charge carriers do work (the rate at which charge carriers convert electrical potential energy to nonelectrical forms of energy)

Electric power equation

P = (I)(△V)

SI unit of power

Watts (W)

Joule heating

Conversion of electrical energy to internal energy in a resistant material

Kilowatt-hour

The unit of energy used by electric companies to calculate consumption, defined in terms of power

P = (I²)(R)

Energy loss is proportional to the square of the current in the wire