Calculating Electrical Energy Consumption: Joules/Year vs. Joules/Second"

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the average rate of electrical energy consumption in Watts from a total consumption of 1.5 x 1015 Joules/year in Country A. The correct approach involves converting Joules/year to Joules/second, as 1 Watt is defined as 1 Joule/second. The conversion requires recognizing that there are 31,536,000 seconds in a year, leading to an average consumption of approximately 4.76 x 107 Watts. The conclusion affirms that the initial assertion to convert the units was correct.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of energy units: Joules and Watts
  • Basic knowledge of unit conversion between time measurements
  • Familiarity with the concept of average rates in physics
  • Awareness of the relationship between energy consumption and time
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn about unit conversions in physics, particularly between Joules and Watts
  • Explore the implications of energy consumption rates in different contexts
  • Investigate how to calculate energy consumption for various appliances
  • Study the impact of energy consumption on environmental sustainability
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, energy analysts, environmental scientists, and anyone interested in understanding electrical energy consumption metrics.

Ogakor
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Homework Statement


The total consumption of electrical energy in Country A is about 1.5 x 1015 Joules/year.
What is the average rate of electrical energy consumption in Watts?

So, my friend and I were arguing.
He said, 1.5 x 1015 is the answer.
I said, since watts is equal to Joules / sec not Joules / year, we should convert 1.5 x 1015 to Joules /sec.

So, who's right, me or my friend?
Please answer
 
Physics news on Phys.org
1 W = 1 J/s

So yes you need to convert the years to seconds.
 
Ok, thanks rockfreak
 

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