I am new here, this is more of a conceptual confirmation than mathemab

[ALLIRIX]

When a wire resists an electrical current it produces heat energy. But how efficient is this transfer? If the electrical Power is 20watts is the heating power 20watts? (ignoring all other inefficiencies, just the conversion from Electrical to Heat)

I'm thinking since a circuit requires electrons to complete the circuit in order to have a current, the Powers won't be equal because some energy will remain within the electrons to keep them in movement.

 

[adjacent]

The power loss is given by the formula: ##P=I^2R##. Is this what you are looking for?

 

[TheAustrian]

The electrons in the circuit don't quite work in the way that your intuition would expect, they don't move very fast at all in a circuit. It is actually an electromagnetic wave inside a wire that transfers "electricity".

 

[ALLIRIX]

I should probably explain further, I've done a school experiment converting electrical energy to heat. P=VI was used to find the electric power going through the Ohmic heating coil, and got an answer of 30 watts. It was used to heat 0.2kg of water and the equation Q/t = m×c×T/t was used to find the Heating Power which gave an answer of 20 watts. I was wondering if the lower answer is only due to inefficiencies of the experiment or that not 100% of the power is converted and some remains in the heating element as electrical energy.

 

[HalfLostAndSearching]

Welcome! It's great to have you here. Your question about the efficiency of converting electrical power into heat is a very interesting one. The answer is that it depends on a few factors. First, the type of wire being used can affect the efficiency of the conversion. Some materials, like copper, are better conductors of electricity and therefore more efficient at converting electrical power into heat. Second, the length and thickness of the wire can also impact efficiency. Longer and thinner wires will have more resistance and therefore produce more heat.

To answer your question about the power being equal, it's important to understand the difference between electrical power and heating power. Electrical power is the rate at which electrical energy is being transferred, while heating power is the rate at which heat energy is being produced. In an ideal scenario, where there are no other inefficiencies, the electrical power and heating power will be equal. However, as you mentioned, there are always inefficiencies in the conversion process, such as some energy being lost to keep the electrons in movement. So in reality, the heating power will be slightly less than the electrical power.

Overall, the efficiency of converting electrical power into heat can vary, but it is an important concept to consider in many applications, such as in electric heaters or electronic devices. I hope this helps clarify the concept for you. Keep asking great questions!