Wiktor Wise
Mains electricity is measured in watts, a unit of power named after James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. One watt is equal to one ampere under the pressure of one volt. The power consumption of small devices is usually measured in watts, while larger devices are measured in kilowatts (kW), or 1,000 watts. The amount of electricity that a power plant generates or a customer uses is typically measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). For example, a 40-watt lightbulb used for five hours would consume 0.2 kWh of electrical energy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Unit of Electricity | Watt (W) |
| General Unit of Power | Watt (W) |
| SI Unit | Watt (W) |
| Base SI Unit for Current | Ampere (A) |
| Base SI Unit for Electric Charge | Coulomb (C) |
| Base SI Unit for Electric Potential | Volt (V) |
| Base SI Unit for Resistance | Ohm (Ω) |
| Base SI Unit for Power | Watt (W) |
| Base SI Unit for Energy | Kilowatt-hour (kWh) |
| Mains Electricity Voltage in US & Canada | 120 V |
| Mains Electricity Voltage in UK | 230 V |
| Mains Electricity Voltage in Japan | 100 V & 200 V |
| Mains Electricity Voltage in Brazil | 127 V & 220 V |
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What You'll Learn
Voltage
The volt is used to quantify the potential difference required to move one coulomb of electric charge by one joule of energy. In other words, it is the measure of the potential energy of charges due to the voltage between terminals. This potential energy can be converted into kinetic energy within a device, such as an electrical appliance, electric motor, or electric heater.
In alternating current (AC) circuits, the polarity of the voltage and the direction of the current flow reverse periodically. In resistive circuits, the current and voltage reverse at the same instant. The voltage in an AC circuit can be calculated using Ohm's law: V = I x R, where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance.
The voltage standards vary across the world. Most of the world population, including Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and much of South America, uses a supply that is within 6% of 230 V. In the United Kingdom, the nominal supply voltage is 230 V with a tolerance of +10%/-6%. Brazil has a synchronized 60 Hz grid with standard voltages of 127 V and 220 V in different regions. The United States, Canada, and some parts of North and Central America use a supply voltage of 120 V, with an allowable range of 114 V to 126 V. Japan has a unique situation, with a supply voltage of 100 V in some regions and 200 V in others.
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Current
The unit of measurement for electrical current is the Ampere, often abbreviated as "amp" and denoted by the symbol "A". The Ampere measures the rate of flow of electric charge and is defined as one Coulomb per second. One Coulomb is the charge carried by one Ampere in one second.
Electricity is supplied to homes and businesses by the electric power industry through an electrical grid. The power consumption of small devices is usually measured in Watts, while larger devices are measured in kilowatts (kW) or 1,000 Watts.
Electricity generation capacity is often measured in multiples of kilowatts, such as megawatts (MW) and gigawatts (GW). One megawatt is 1,000 kW or 1,000,000 Watts, while one gigawatt is 1,000 MW or 1,000,000,000 Watts.
The amount of electricity generated or consumed is typically measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kWh is equal to one kilowatt of power generated or consumed in one hour. This is the commercial unit of electricity that appears on household energy bills.
In alternating current (AC) circuits, the polarity of the voltage and the direction of current flow reverse periodically. In resistive circuits, the current and voltage reverse at the same instant.
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Resistance
The higher the resistance in a circuit, the lower the current flow for a given voltage. This relationship is described by Ohm's law, which states that the voltage (V) across a resistor is equal to the product of the current (I) flowing through it and the resistance (R): V = I * R. This law is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering and is used extensively in circuit analysis and design.
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Power
The power consumption of small devices is usually measured in Watts, while larger devices are measured in kilowatts (kW), or 1,000 Watts. Electricity generation capacity is often measured in multiples of kilowatts, such as megawatts (MW) and gigawatts (GW). One megawatt is 1,000 kW, and one gigawatt is 1,000 MW. A Watthour (Wh) is equal to the energy of one Watt supplied to or taken from an electric circuit for one hour. The amount of electricity that a power plant generates or a customer uses is typically measured in kilowatthours (kWh). For example, if you use a 40-Watt (0.04 kW) light bulb for five hours, you have used 0.2 kWh of electrical energy.
Electric power is usually produced by electric generators but can also be supplied by sources such as electric batteries. It is supplied to homes and businesses by the electric power industry through an electrical grid. Electric power can be delivered over long distances by transmission lines and used for applications such as motion, light or heat with high efficiency.
Electric power is measured in standard SI units, with prefixes applied as with other SI units: thousands, millions, and billions of watts are called kilowatts, megawatts, and gigawatts, respectively.
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Energy
The unit of electricity is a foundational concept in physics, and it is essential to understand how various electrical quantities are measured. Every electric parameter, whether it is current, charge, voltage, resistance, power, or energy, has its own specific unit of measurement, standardised under the International System of Units (SI). These units are used across electric circuits, electronic devices, and household appliances.
Electricity is measured in units of power called watts, named after James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. One watt is a small amount of power; some devices require only a few watts to operate, while others require larger amounts. The power consumption of small devices is usually measured in watts, while that of larger devices is measured in kilowatts (kW), or 1,000 watts. Electricity generation capacity is often measured in multiples of kilowatts, such as megawatts (MW) and gigawatts (GW). One megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts (or 1,000,000 watts), and one gigawatt is 1,000 megawatts (or 1,000,000,000 watts).
The watt is the SI unit of power, defined as one joule per second. The general formula for power is P = IV, where P is power, I is current, and V is voltage. In alternating current (AC) circuits, the polarity of the voltage and the direction of current flow reverse twice each cycle. The power formula in these circuits becomes P = I^2 * R, where R is resistance.
The commercial unit of electricity used for household energy bills is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is a unit of energy, not power, and represents the energy consumed by a 1-kilowatt appliance running for one hour. For example, using a 1,000-watt (1 kW) appliance for one hour uses 1 kWh of electricity. The amount of electricity that a power plant generates or an electric utility customer uses is typically measured in kilowatt-hours.
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Frequently asked questions
The unit of electricity is Watt (W), which is a unit of power named after James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine.
The commercial unit of electricity for billing is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is a unit of energy, not power.
The base SI units of electricity include the Ampere (A) for current, the Coulomb (C) for electric charge, the Volt (V) for electric potential, the Ohm (Ω) for resistance, and the Watt (W) for power.
The standard voltage in the United States is 120 volts, with an allowable range of 114 V to 126 V.
