Gizmo Warm-up The Household Energy Usage Gizmo™ allows you to compare the energy used by different appliances in the home. On the BEDROOM tab, click the printer. 1. Voltage (V) is a measure of how much electrical energy is in a circuit. Most household circuits operate at 120 volts (120 V). Is this true of the printer? _______ 2. Current (I) is a measure of the amount of electrical charge that passes through the circuit each second. Current is measured in amperes (A). How much current does the printer use? ____________________ 3. Wattage (W) is the energy that is used by a device each second. It is equal to current multiplied by voltage (W = I × V). Wattage is measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To answer your questions regarding the printer on the “BEDROOM” tab of the Household Energy Usage Gizmo™, I’ll break down each query based on basic electrical principles.
1. Is the printer operating at 120 volts (V)?
In most households in North America, the standard voltage for electrical appliances is 120 volts (V). Therefore, it is likely that the printer is designed to operate at 120 V as well. Most household devices, unless specified otherwise (such as those requiring 240 V for high-power machines), are designed to work within this voltage range.
So, the answer is: Yes, the printer is most likely operating at 120 volts.
2. How much current (I) does the printer use?
Current (I) is measured in amperes (A), and it represents the flow of electrical charge. To calculate the current the printer uses, we need the power consumption (in watts) and the voltage at which the printer operates.
From the power equation:
[
W = I \times V
]
Where:
- ( W ) is the wattage (power consumed by the printer),
- ( I ) is the current (what we need to find),
- ( V ) is the voltage (120 V).
Rearranging the equation to solve for ( I ):
[
I = \frac{W}{V}
]
You would need the wattage (W) of the printer to calculate the current. For example, if the printer uses 300 W:
[
I = \frac{300 W}{120 V} = 2.5 A
]
Thus, the current would be 2.5 amperes for a 300-watt printer. If you have a different wattage for the printer, use that value in the equation to find the specific current.
3. Wattage (W) and Energy Usage:
Wattage is a measure of how much energy a device uses per second. For example, if the printer uses 300 watts of power, it consumes 300 joules of energy every second it is operating. To convert this to kilowatts, divide the wattage by 1000.
[
300 W = 0.3 kW
]
This means that if the printer runs for an hour, it would consume 0.3 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of energy, which is a measure of how much electrical energy it uses over time.
Let me generate an image to visually explain these concepts!
Here’s a simple diagram to help you visualize how electricity flows through a household appliance like a printer. It shows the relationship between voltage (120V), current (in amperes), and wattage (in watts). Let me know if you have any other questions or need further clarification!
