Power Ratings

• Power Ratings

  • The power rating of an appliance is a measure of the energy transferred per unit time
  • 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 more energy is transferred per second
  • For example, a 2000 W kettle means the kettle transfers 2000 J of energy per second from one store to another
• • 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 that is has a voltage that is 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 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