Chapter 2

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19
Forces And Motion

Power And Efficiency

Power is defined as the rate of work done or energy transferred.
Unit for power: joule per second (J s–1) or watt (W).

A fan of 60 W An air-conditioner of 3000 W A washing machine of 500 W

Different electrical appliances have different power ratings

A racing car can produce more power
than an old car because it can achieve
higher speed in a shorter time interval.

Power formulae Symbols

P: Power
P= W = E
t t W: Work done
mgh
P= t E: Energy
Fs t: Time taken
P= t mgh: gravitational potential energy
P = Fv Fs: Work done
F: Force
1 2
mv v: velocity
P= 2
t 1 mv2: Kinetic energy
2

Output power
Efficiency = × 100%
Input power

Question What is the power of a vehicle, which can exert a force of 600 N and move
a distance of 400 m in 1 minute?
Solution Fs 600 × 400
P= t = = 4 000 W
60

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