How does a hairdryer produce 1500 watts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaveC426913
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Watts
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the operation of a 1500-watt hairdryer and how it draws current from a household circuit. Participants explore the relationship between resistance, current, and power consumption in electrical devices, comparing the heating elements of a hairdryer to those of a nightlight. The conversation includes theoretical and practical aspects of electricity, focusing on concepts such as Ohm's law and power calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how a hairdryer can draw 10 amps if its coils are considered a "giant resistor," suggesting a balancing act between current flow and heating.
  • Others explain that the resistance of the heating elements is designed to draw the appropriate current for their power rating, with Ohm's law being applicable.
  • One participant notes that household outlets can supply current to maintain voltage, indicating that smaller resistance leads to larger power consumption.
  • There is a discussion about the physical size of resistors versus their electrical resistance, with some arguing that a physically large resistor can have low electrical resistance, while a small resistor can have high resistance.
  • Participants express confusion about the relationship between resistance and heat production, with some suggesting that heat is produced by current flow rather than resistance alone.
  • One participant mentions that if the resistance in a nightlight were reduced, it would allow more current to flow, increasing heat output, but this could lead to the nightlight burning out due to exceeding its design specifications.
  • Another participant clarifies that heat generation is a combination of both current and resistance, challenging earlier assumptions about the nature of heat production in electrical components.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of understanding regarding the relationship between resistance, current, and heat production. There is no consensus on the nuances of these concepts, and multiple competing views remain throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the importance of design considerations in electrical devices, such as the choice of materials and dimensions for heating elements, which affect resistance and heat output. Additionally, the discussion touches on the limitations of applying theoretical equations without a full understanding of the underlying principles.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in electrical engineering, physics students, or anyone seeking to understand the principles of electricity and power consumption in household appliances.

  • #31
Merlin3189 said:
I don't have much beyond Paint for drawing, since Windows left my versions of Corel and Autosketch behind.
I'm running 64 bit windows 7 professional which let's you setup and run a virtual 16 bit XP mode machine. See; I can use my Autosketch program inside of windows 7.

autosketch in xpmode.jpg
 

Attachments

  • autosketch in xpmode.jpg
    autosketch in xpmode.jpg
    47.4 KB · Views: 558
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: davenn and Merlin3189
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #32
Tom.G said:
Probably because a Physics bent and an Artistic bent tend to be disjoint sets... then there are those Mathematicians hangin' around too! :wink:
(besides, pictures are a lot of work)
Challenge accepted!
1 coil using outputting 1 Watt, total resistance 1 Ohm
watt1.png


Two coils, each outputting 1 watt, total output 2 Watts, total resistance 0.5 Ohms
watt2.png


Three coils outputting 1 Watt each. Total output 3 Watts. Total resistance 0.333... Ohms
watt3.png
 

Attachments

  • watt3.png
    watt3.png
    10.5 KB · Views: 483
  • watt2.png
    watt2.png
    8.1 KB · Views: 517
  • watt1.png
    watt1.png
    4.6 KB · Views: 468
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: OmCheeto, Merlin3189, Tom.G and 2 others

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
43K
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
6K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
28
Views
9K