Current in which charged particles travel through a circuit in only one direction
Alternating current
A current in which electrons move back and forth in a circuit
Transformer
An electrical device that changes the size of the potential difference of an alternating
Circuit breaker
A device that is placed in series with other circuits that lead to appliances and outlets
Fuse
A safety device that is found in older houses and some appliances, like a circuit breaker, it is placed in series with other circuits that lead to appliances and other outlets
Electrical power
The rate at which an electrical appliance uses electrical energy
Watt (w)
A unit of electrical power
1 kilowatt=1000 W
Kilowatt (kW)
A practical unit of electrical energy
1 kilowatt=1000 W
Electrical energy
The energy that is used by an appliance at a given setting, is determined by multiplying its power rating by the length of time used
Kilowatt hour
The practical unit of electrical energy
Energuide label
A label that gives details about how much energy an appliance uses in one year of normal use
smart meter
A meter that record the total electrical energy used hour by hour and sends this info to the utility company automatically
Time of use pricing
A system of pricing in which the cost of each kW•h of energy used is different at different times of the day
Phantom load
The electricity that is used by an appliance when it is turned off
Efficiency
The ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input, expressed as a percentage
Base load
The continuous minimum demand for electrical power
Hydroelectric power generation
The production of electricity using a source of water
Intermediate load
A demand for electricity that is greater than the base load and is met by burning coal and natural gas
Peak load
The greatest demand for electricity, which is met by using hydroelectric power and natural gas
Renewable energy source
A source of energy that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time
Non renewable source
A source of energy that can Not be replaced as quickly as it is being used
Solar energy
Energy that is directly converted from the energy of the sun to electricity
Photovoltaic effect
The generation of a direct current when certain materials are exposed to light
Biomass energy
Energy that is generated from plant and animal matter