Power Ratings (AQA GCSE Physics)

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Power Ratings

  • The power of an appliance is the amount of energy it transfers by electrical working every second

  • Every electrical appliance has a power rating which tells you how much energy it needs to work

  • The power rating for domestic electrical appliances is normally given on a label. This will include:
    • The potential difference required to make the device work (eg. 230 V in the UK)
    • The frequency of the supply (eg. 50 Hz in the UK)
    • The power rating in Watts (this varies for each device)

  • The higher the power rating, the faster the energy is transferred
    • For example, a 2000 W kettle means the kettle transfers 2000 J of energy per second 

  • The different power ratings of various household appliances are listed in the table below as examples:

Power of Household Appliances Table, downloadable IGCSE & GCSE Physics revision notes

  • Care must be taken not to plug an appliance into a mains supply that has a voltage much higher than stated on the label, for example in another country that has a higher mains voltage
    • This could cause the appliance to fuse or set on fire and become damaged

power-rating-igcse-and-gcse-physics-revision-notes

Mains electric appliances, such as this kettle, are fitted with labels that list important information such as the power and voltage of the appliance

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Ashika

Author: Ashika

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Ashika graduated with a first-class Physics degree from Manchester University and, having worked as a software engineer, focused on Physics education, creating engaging content to help students across all levels. Now an experienced GCSE and A Level Physics and Maths tutor, Ashika helps to grow and improve our Physics resources.