The energy per second consumed by a light bulb or an appliance is expressed in watts. Household electrical usage is usually expressed in kilowatt-hours (units of 1,000 watts multiplied by the time of usage in hours).
Watts are calculated using the following formula: volts x amps = watts. If you know two of these values, you can figure the third by multiplying or dividing. For example: A 10-amp circuit at 230 volts can deliver 2,300 watts; a microwave oven that uses 1,500 watts of 230-volt power consumes 6.5 Amps.
The energy per second consumed by a light bulb or an appliance is expressed in watts. Household electrical usage is usually expressed in kilowatt-hours (units of 1,000 watts multiplied by the time of usage in hours).
Watts are calculated using the following formula: Volts x Amps = watts. If you know two of these values, you can figure the third by multiplying or dividing. For example: A 10 Amp circuit at 230 Volts can deliver 2,300 Watts; a microwave oven that uses 1,500 watts of 230-volt power consumes 6.5 Amps.