If you’re someone who enjoys electronics, power systems, or even just a curious learner, you’ve likely come across terms like amps, watts, and volts. These three units are fundamental to comprehending how electrical systems work. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, a techie, or simply someone trying to make sense of your home appliances’ power usage, learning these concepts is a must to go further.
In this blog guide, we’ll explore the meaning of amps, watts, and volts, their relationship, and the formulas that connect them.
First of all, we’ll discuss the amps (short for amperes) that are used to measure the flow of electrical current. It is the unit used for the calculation of the electricity which passes through a wire. For better understanding, you can relate it to a water pipe while the amount of water flowing in a certain period is referred to as the Amp unit. Got it?
Since an ampere is a fundamental unit in the International System of Units (SI), it tells you how much electric charge (measured in coulombs) passes through a conductor per second. If a wire is carrying a current of 1 ampere, it reflects that it contains approx. 1-coulomb electrical charge passing from a wire per second.
For instance, for an appliance that takes 3600W and 240V, the amps it has will be:
Amps = 2500W / 240V = 10.41A
Secondly, we have the watt (W), which is a power unit. Simply. this unit tells us the actual rate of energy usage & the production. Just like you hear in the news about the mega projects of energy is represented in MW (megawatts) formats. Essentially, watts represent the work an electrical current can do per second.
Whenever you charge or plug in an electrical appliance, it needs the power to function. While, the power usage is measured in watts, and a higher number of watts generally indicates that the device consumes more power. For instance, a light bulb with a rating of 70 watts consumes about 70 joules of energy every second until it’s turned off.
The formula for calculating watts is:
This formula shows that the power an electrical device consumes or produces depends on the voltage and the current. For example, if a device operates at 100 volts and draws 2 amps of current, it will use 200 watts of power.
Thirdly, we have Volts. They measure the potential difference of electric current among the two certain points in a circuit board. This is similar to water pressure in a pipe—just as pressure pushes water through a pipe, voltage pushes electric current through a wire. A volt essentially measures how much potential energy exists to move the charge.
Furthermore, as the voltage gets higher, parallel to this the flow of electrical current also gets high. Voltage can come from various sources, such as batteries or power plants. Thus, if you have a 12-volt battery, there’s a 12-volt potential difference between the two terminals, enough to move a certain amount of current through a connected circuit.
You can also calculate the voltage with the help of Ohm’s Law. The formula for calculating voltage is:
If an electrical appliance consumes 1500 watts and 35 amps, the volts will be:
Volts = 1500W / 35A = 42.85V
So, if you know the values of resistance & current of a circuit, you can easily determine the voltage needed to push that current through.
The three units—amps, watts, and volts—are interconnected and work together in real-life applications. Since we’ve covered each unit separately, let’s discuss some misconceptions to better comprehend how they work in an electrical system.
You’ll find amps, watts, and volts at the heart of any electrical system, from your home appliances to large power grids. Whether you’re trying to select the right power supply for a device, troubleshoot a circuit, or want to know how electricity works in our daily lives, these three units are more than what they sound. That’s why understanding them will help you make informed decisions about electricity and troubleshoot electrical issues like a pro.
So, the next time you pick up a new device or start a DIY electronics project, you’ll know exactly how to measure and manage the power it requires. Ensure you don’t mess up with electricity without proper certifications and supervision.
In this blog guide, we’ll explore the meaning of amps, watts, and volts, their relationship, and the formulas that connect them.
First of all, we’ll discuss the amps (short for amperes) that are used to measure the flow of electrical current. It is the unit used for the calculation of the electricity which passes through a wire. For better understanding, you can relate it to a water pipe while the amount of water flowing in a certain period is referred to as the Amp unit. Got it?
Since an ampere is a fundamental unit in the International System of Units (SI), it tells you how much electric charge (measured in coulombs) passes through a conductor per second. If a wire is carrying a current of 1 ampere, it reflects that it contains approx. 1-coulomb electrical charge passing from a wire per second.
For instance, for an appliance that takes 3600W and 240V, the amps it has will be:
Amps = 2500W / 240V = 10.41A
Secondly, we have the watt (W), which is a power unit. Simply. this unit tells us the actual rate of energy usage & the production. Just like you hear in the news about the mega projects of energy is represented in MW (megawatts) formats. Essentially, watts represent the work an electrical current can do per second.
Whenever you charge or plug in an electrical appliance, it needs the power to function. While, the power usage is measured in watts, and a higher number of watts generally indicates that the device consumes more power. For instance, a light bulb with a rating of 70 watts consumes about 70 joules of energy every second until it’s turned off.
The formula for calculating watts is:
This formula shows that the power an electrical device consumes or produces depends on the voltage and the current. For example, if a device operates at 100 volts and draws 2 amps of current, it will use 200 watts of power.
