Power Ratings (AQA GCSE Physics: Combined Science)

• 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:

• 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

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