Power

James Watt devised the concept of the rate of doing work to help market his improved steam engine. And so the unit of power (rate of transferring energy) is the watt. In industrial societies, measuring power continues to be a useful way of comparing machines of all types.

Experiments

• Measuring the power of a lamp
• Comparing the powers of lamps
• Investigating light intensity from a lamp
• Measuring the power of a motor
• Comparing the powers of electric motors 1
• Comparing the powers of electric motors 2
• Climbing stairs
• Student power
• Power cycling up a hill
• What affects the output of a solar panel?

Related Guidance

• Power and energy
• Helpful language for energy talk
• Measuring energy transfers>
• Energy sources (generating electricity)