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But these go to 11
When working with and reading about electricity the terms volts, amps, watts and ohms are mentioned often. Volt is the measure of potential electrical power that can be provided. It is named after the Italian physicist, Alessandro Volta, that invented the chemical battery. The current within the circuit is measured in amps, named after Andre-Marie Ampere, and will determine how much power the electricity will have. Watts, named after the Scottish inventor, James Watt, is the power used by a device. The Ohm measures the resistance to the electrical current flow in a circuit and is named after the German physicist, Georg Ohm.
Some items we are familiar with:
Volts:
Power in our house circuits is 120 volts (except for an electric stove and electric dryers, which is 220)
Electrical power in the battery in our automobiles is 12 volts.
Flashlight batteries 1.5 volts each.
Amps:
A combination of 8-1.5 volt flashlight batteries is not enough power to start your parent’s car. It is 12 volts but there is not enough power, or amps, for it to turn the engine over and get it to start.
Watts:
A 60 Watt light bulb will burn 60 Watts of electrical energy in one hour.
A 100 Watt light bulb will burn 100 Watts of electrical energy in one hour.
Ohm:
It is the resistance, or ohms, within a circuit that prevents all of the power from a battery or other power source from being able to be used and makes a circuit less efficient.
Look up some information on superconductors and see how they are changing our world.
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