Watt is one of the units of power. The international designation of watts is W, and in Russian - "W". Now this energy measurement parameter is widely used in various mechanisms - from household appliances to complex technical structures.
History
The watt unit was named after James Watt, a Scottish engineer who created the steam engine, the layout of which he modified from Newcomen's invention.
Thus, the watt unit was adopted at the second congress of the scientific association in Great Britain in 1882. Prior to this, most energy calculations used the parameter "horsepower", one metric unit of which equals approximately 735 watts.
Watt as a quantity in physics
To better understand what is measured in watts, you need to brush up on school physics lessons and remember the definition of energy. The physical quantity that uses the unit joule (J) in the international SI system is called energy. It is used as a general measure of the effectiveness of various thermal processes or the interaction between objects and other phenomena,occurring with matter - in science, nature, technology, and so on.
That's what is measured in watts - power, which determines how much different objects consume or release energy. It also calculates the speed of its transmission through objects and transformation of one form into another. In other words, power, defined in watts, equals 1 unit of energy divided by 1 unit of time - a second:
1W=1J/1sec
Volts and watts
What is the difference between a volt and a watt? Voltage is calculated in volts. For example, the voltage of the power source - battery, accumulator or network - should be equal to or slightly deviate (in%) from the voltage that is installed on the device - a lamp or complex electronic equipment.
What is measured in watts? The answer here is already clear - this is power, which can be calculated as consumed energy, for example, when choosing a kettle - it will heat up faster, but will consume more electricity. Or with an output power, say, a speaker or amplifier, the more, the wider the range and the louder the sound. Watt is also indicated in internal combustion engines - cars, motorcycles, trimmers and other mechanisms. However, for such engines in other countries, the measurement "horsepower" is often used.
Power of electrical appliances
The power of household appliances is measured in watts, which is usually indicated by the manufacturer. Some appliances, like lamps, may set limits onpower, so that with a strong incandescence of the cartridge, they do not fail. That will limit the period of use. As a rule, such problems arise with incandescent lamps. In Europe, for example, they have limited the use of these lamps due to the high power.
LED lamps consume much less electricity, while the brightness of such a lamp is not inferior to incandescent lamps. For example, with an average brightness of 800 lumens, the energy consumption of an incandescent lamp, measured in watts, will be 60, and an LED lamp - from 10 to 15 watts, which is 4-6 times less. The power of a fluorescent lamp is 13-15 watts. So, although the cost is higher, LED or fluorescent lighting is becoming more common as it lasts longer and consumes less energy.
