How Much Does It Cost to Use a Hair Dryer for a Year?

[reyunknown]

Make an order-of-magnitude estimate of the cost of one person’s routine use of a hair dryer for 1 yr. If you do not use a blow dryer yourself, observe or interview someone who does. State the quantities you estimate and their values.

 

[bp_psy]

Find out the power of a dryer (Google) and the cost of a kWh in your area (Google).Estimate the time somebody uses the dryer in a year in hours.Compute the number of kWh then the price.

 

[Pengwuino]

By the way, this topic is not a topic for advanced physics. This is something for introductory physics.

The question should be very intuitive. The best part about order-of-magnitude questions is that you can, for example, say a new flat screen tv costs $2000 or $5000 and as an order of magnitude calculation goes, they're the exact same answer.

 

[reyunknown]

Thx for helping !

 

[paranormal]

I understand the importance of making informed and accurate estimates. In this case, the cost of routine use of a hair dryer for one year can be estimated by considering several factors.

Firstly, we need to estimate the frequency of use. Let's assume that the person uses a hair dryer every other day, so approximately 183 times in a year.

Next, we need to estimate the power consumption of the hair dryer. Most hair dryers have a power rating of around 1875 watts. Assuming an average usage time of 10 minutes per session, the total energy consumption per year would be 183 x 1875 x 10 = 3,431,250 watts or 3.4 megawatts.

Now, we need to consider the cost of electricity. The average cost of electricity in the United States is around $0.13 per kilowatt-hour. This means that the total cost of using a hair dryer for one year would be approximately $445 (3.4 megawatts x $0.13 per kilowatt-hour).

It is also important to note that the cost may vary depending on the location and electricity rates. Additionally, if the person uses a higher power hair dryer or uses it more frequently, the cost would increase accordingly.

In conclusion, the estimated cost of routine use of a hair dryer for one person for one year would be around $445. This estimate is based on the assumptions of frequency of use, power consumption, and electricity rates.