Power of a hot plate and actual heat power delivered

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the power consumption of a hot plate appliance rated at 1200 Watts and how this relates to the actual heat delivered based on temperature settings. It is established that while the rated power is 1200 Watts, the actual heating power varies with the temperature setting. The relationship between power consumption and temperature is approximately linear when heating a cold pot, but becomes non-linear as the contents reach boiling point or when the hot plate is empty, due to factors like radiative transfer and convection.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrical power ratings (e.g., 1200 Watts)
  • Basic principles of thermodynamics related to heat transfer
  • Knowledge of linear vs. non-linear relationships in physics
  • Familiarity with experimental methods for measuring temperature and power
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of heat transfer, focusing on radiative and convective heat transfer.
  • Learn about the thermodynamic properties of water and how they affect cooking.
  • Explore experimental methods for measuring power consumption in heating appliances.
  • Investigate the effects of different cooking settings on energy efficiency in hot plates.
USEFUL FOR

Home cooks, kitchen appliance designers, and anyone interested in understanding the efficiency and performance of cooking appliances.

ezadam
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Hey Guys,

I really did my best to locate the best sub-forum for my question (I was hesitating between the Homework one and this one), so please bear with me if my choice is wrong ...

Now to my question: So in my kitchen, I have a hot plate appliance, and it says on it that power consumption is 1200 Watt. Now what I am confused about is what does this power truly represent, especially that the hot plate has a knob that you can turn to control the plate's temperature. I mean, isn't the choice of temperature going to influence the actual heating power of the plate ? And if so, what are the parameters that I need to know that actual power ?

Thanks :)
 
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That is the peak/rated output. Yes, it can vary with the setting.

Finding the actual relationship can only be done experimentally.
 
Thank you so much for your answer. Is a linear relationship expected between the actual power consumption and the temperature that I set on the hot plate ?
 
"Is a linear relationship?"

If you have a pot of cold stew on the hot plate, the relationship is close to linear. If the stew is boiling, the temperature is mostly independent of setting. If there's nothing on the hot plate, then heat is being dissipated through a combination of radiative transfer (proportional to Temp^4) and free or forced convection (also non-linear, but complicated).
 

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