PRACTICAL USES OF

ELECTRICITY
Heating & Lighting Appliances
 Glass bulb

Coil of coiled filament made of

tungsten

Inert argon gas at a low pressure

Tungsten – high melting point, high resistivity value, high resistance to oxidation

Argon – helps to minimise evaporation of tungsten filament

Coiled filament – reduces energy losses through convection and increases

resistance of coil
 thermostat

Base plate

Heating element is made of

nichrome

Nichrome – high melting point, high electrical resistance and high resistance to
oxidation

Thermostat – regulates the temperature of the iron

‘Watt’ is the Power of these appliances?
Electrical Power and Electrical Resistance are
constant for an electrical appliance

Electrical Energy = Electrical Power x Time taken

Electrical Power in kilowatt ( kW)

Time taken in hours (h)
and electrical energy in kilowatt-hour (kWh)
One unit of electricity is 1 kWh
1 kWh is the amount of electrical energy
dissipated by a 1 kW appliance switched on for
1 hour.
 Cost of using electricity
1. A 2000 W heater is used for 10 hours to warm a room during winter.
What is the cost of using the heater if 1 kWh of electricity costs 15
cents ?

Energy used = Power (kW) x Time (h) = 2 kW x 10 h = 20 kWh

Cost = 20 x 15 = 300 cents = $ 3.00

2. A 2kW electric fire is used for 10 hours/week and a 100 W lamp is

used for 10 hours/day. Find the total energy consumed per week, and
hence the total cost per week if 1 kWh of electricity costs 3 pence.

Total energy used = (2 x 10) + ( 0.10 x 10 x 7) = 27 kWh

Cost = 27 x 3 = 81 pence
 Electrical Power
Power = Voltage x Current

P = VI where P is Power in Watts (W)

V is voltage in volts (V)
I is current in ampere (A)
Proof: E = VQ

P=(E/t)=(VQ/t)=V(Q/t)=VI
Other alternative formulae for
electrical power

P=I R 2

P=V /R 2
 Kettle rated at 960 W
resistance of 58 
240 V mains supply

cable of electrical resistance of 2.0 

Current supplied to the kettle

I = V / R = 240 / ( 58 + 2 ) = 4.0 A If cable has no resistance,
then P = VI,
Power Loss in cable
Power loss = I 2 R = (4.0)2 x 2.0 = 32 W I = P / V = 960 / 240
= 4.0 A
Potential difference (Voltage) across the kettle
V = IR = 4.0 x 58 = 232 V ( 8 V is lost to the cable )
Power output of the kettle
P = VI = 232 x 4.0 = 928 W ( = I2 R = 4.02 x 58 = 928 W ) = (V2/R = 2322/58 = 928W)
 More Questions
1. An electric kettle that is connected to a 240 V mains supply draws a current of 10 A.
Calculate (a) the power of the kettle,
(b) the heat energy produced in 20 s.
(c) the rise in temperature if all this energy is given to 2 kg of water.
[Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J/(kg0C) ]

(a) P = V I = 240 x 10 = 2400 W

(b) E = P t = 2400 x 20 = 48000 J
(c) E = 48000 = m c Δθ
Δθ = 48000 / ( 2 x 4200 ) = 5.7 0C
2. The diagram shows a circuit which contains a bulb of resistance 3  connected to a
battery of e.m.f. of 12 V and connecting wires which has an internal resistance of 0.015
. Calculate (a) the current in the circuit, (refer to notes for diagram)
(b) the power loss in the wires,
(c) the power of the bulb,
(d) the voltage across the bulb.

(a) I = V / R = 12 / 3.015 = 3.98 A

(b) Power loss in the wires = I 2 R = 3.982 x 0.015 = 0.238 W
(c) P = I2 R = 3.982 x 3 = 47.5 W
(d) V = I R = 3.98 x 3 = 11.9 V
[Note that p.d. across the bulb is less than 12 V because there is some p.d.
across the internal resistance of the wires.]

For part (c) using P = V I = 11.9 x 3.98 = 47.4 W

using P = V2 / R = 11.92 / 3 = 47.2 W
3. Page 116, Question 4
(a) I = P / V = 72 / 12 = 6.0 A
(b) Q = I t = 6.0 x 20 x 60 = 7200 C
(c) E = V Q = 12 x 7200 = 86400 J or E = P t = 72 x 20 x 60 = 86400 J
(d) R = V / I = 12 / 6.0 = 2.0 

4. Page 116, Question 5

(a) P = V2 / R ; R = V2 / P = 4.02 / 12 = 1.3 
(b) I = V / R = 2 / 1.3 = 1.5 A
(c) P = V I = 2.0 x 1.5 = 3.0 W
[Note that when the operating voltage applied to the lamp is reduced by half; i.e.
from 4 V to 2 V; the current is also reduced by half, causing the power of the lamp to be
reduced by a quarter ( Power = voltage x current )since the resistance of the lamp is
constant and is not affected by changes in voltage or current.
 Live, Earth, Neutral wires
NEUTRAL WIRE

EARTH
WIRE

LIVE
WIRE

POWER
SUPPLY
3-pins plug
Earth wire
LIVE CARRIES CURRENT FROM THE
WIRE POWER SUPPLY TO THE APPLIANCE
- AT A HIGH VOLTAGE OF 240 V

NEUTRAL CARRIES CURRENT FROM THE

WIRE APPLIANCE TO THE POWER SUPPLY
- AT A LOW VOLTAGE OF 0 V

EARTH DOES NOT CARRY ANY CURRENT

WIRE UNLESS AN ELECTRICAL HAZARD OF
A LEAKAGE OF CURRENT OCCURS
- AT A LOW VOLTAGE OF 0 V
 ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
• SHORT CIRCUIT
• OVERLOADING
• LEAKAGE OF CURRENT
CAUSES & EFFECTS ON APPLIANCE OR LIVES
 CAUSES & EFFECT OF SOME ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
CAUSES
Short Electrical Contact between the bare
wires (live wire touches neutral wire)
Circuit caused by torn or damaged insulation
due to deterioration from overused
wires.
Overloading Plugging too many appliances to one
power socket through the use of an
adaptor.
Commonly also known as
Electric electrocution. This is caused either by
Shock damp conditions (wet hands touch
bare wires) or when the live wire is
exposed and touches the metal parts
of the appliance
EFFECT
Since the bare wires have
almost negligible
resistance, current will be
large. The amount of heat
generated from this large
current will overheat the
wires and appliance, and
can even start a fire.
Current drawn from the
power socket will be very
large and this may result in
overheating of cable.
The person who touches
the ‘live’ metal parts will
receive an electric shock,
which may be fatal,
depending on the his
resistance and current
through him.
 Safety Measures
Effects Safety How it works?
devices
Short Circuit Fuses and circuit- When a large current develops in the event of a
short circuit or overloading, this large current will
& Overloading breakers melt the fuse wire and when the fuse ‘blows’,
current flow to the cable and appliance is cut off.
Each fuse has a certain fuse rating which is the
current limit it can withstand before the fuse
‘blows’. Thus the fuse protects the cable and
the appliance from overheating.

Electric Shock Earth wire connected to When the appliance becomes ‘live’ due to broken
the metal parts of the insulation resulting in the bare live wire touching
appliance the metal parts of the appliance, current from the
live wire will flow along the earth wire instead of
through the person. Thus the Earth wire
prevents the user from an electric shock.

Damp Hands must be dry and

appliances must not be
conditions
used in wet areas
 Switches and Fuses
• Switches and fuses must be placed along the
‘live’ wire.
Live wire

switch fuse

Neutral wire