What Is the Electrical Equivalent in Energy Conversion?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the electrical equivalent in energy conversion through a physics lab experiment involving a submerged light bulb. The electrical energy is determined using the formula P=IV, where P is power, I is current, and V is voltage, and is then multiplied by the change in time (∆time). The thermal energy is calculated using Q=mc∆T, where Q is thermal energy, m is mass, c is specific heat capacity, and ∆T is the change in temperature. The electrical equivalent is defined as the ratio of electrical energy to thermal energy, illustrating the relationship between electrical flow and thermal dissipation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrical power calculations using P=IV
  • Knowledge of thermal energy calculations using Q=mc∆T
  • Familiarity with the concept of energy conversion
  • Basic principles of electric circuits and current flow
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between electrical energy and thermal energy in energy conversion processes
  • Explore the concept of energy efficiency in electrical devices
  • Learn about the principles of electric circuits and current flow
  • Investigate the specific heat capacity of various materials for thermal energy calculations
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, educators conducting experiments on energy conversion, and anyone interested in the principles of electrical and thermal energy relationships.

moonelson
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I am writing up a physics lab where we essentially submerged a light-bulb in a styrofoam cup of water and then calculated the electrical energy using the equation P=IV and then multiplied P by ∆time. Then we calculated the thermal energy using the equation Q=mc∆T. I understand you can find the electrical equivalent by dividing the electrical energy by the thermal energy, but I don't understand what the number for electrical energy actually is. Is electrical energy a constant that I am trying to prove in this experiment? Or is it the loss in energy from when energy is dissipated from the light-bulb to the water? Or is it something else?
 
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The electrical equivalent is the amount of current that will flow through a circuit when a voltage is applied. Flow of charge is equivalent to flow of water. The electrical flow is in units of coulombs, just like the flow of water is in units of litres.
 

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