Power

How it is used

Used for loads, supplies and components: power consumption, power rating, output power, power loss. In everyday speech power also means the electricity supply itself: 'the power is off', 'a power outage', 'power up the board'.

Example sentences

1. The heater uses 2 kW of power, so it should have its own 16 A circuit.

2. Make sure the power is off before you open the panel.

Common collocations

• power consumption
• power rating
• output power
• power loss
• power outage

Related terms

• voltageThe electrical pressure that pushes current through a circuit, in other words the potential difference between two points. It is measured in volts (V).
• currentThe flow of electric charge through a conductor, such as a wire or a component. It is measured in amperes (A), which engineers usually just call amps.
• power factorThe ratio of real power (in watts) to apparent power (in volt-amperes) in an AC circuit, between 0 and 1. A low power factor means more current is needed for the same useful power.
• ratingThe maximum voltage, current, power or temperature that a device is designed to handle safely in normal use, as stated by the manufacturer. Rated values appear on nameplates and in datasheets.
• power supplyA device or circuit that provides the voltage and current a system needs, usually by converting mains AC into a regulated DC output. A bench power supply is the adjustable unit on a lab desk.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• power · Physics
• power · Sociology

More terms: Voltage, Current and Power

• resistance
• Ohm's law
• AC
• DC
• impedance
• capacitance
• RMS
• voltage drop
• inductance