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Electric heater
Electric Iron
Water heater
Do You Know?
Electric bulb
All heating devices draw a large quantity of electricity to heat the respective
appliances. However, bulbs are designed to emit light only. Hence, there is wastage of
electricity in the form of heat. This wastage of electricity is reduced by replacing these
electric bulbs by compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). A CFL is shown in the given figure.
Electric fuse
Electric fuses are devices used for the protection of expensive electric devices such as bulbs, TVs,
fans, etc. A fuse element has very low melting point. Hence, it melts quickly whenever there is a
slight increase in the amount of current. As a result, the path of the current is broken. This
protects the device from being damaged by the abrupt flow of current. The given figure shows a
simple electric fuse that is commonly used in households.
Construct a simple electric circuit that consists of a bulb, a switch, and an electric cell, as shown in
figure (a). Now, switch off the circuit. Take a fuse element, which is easily available in a repair
shop, and connect it to the wire, as shown in figure (b). In this way, you can construct a fuse
circuit that will protect the original circuit from high voltage or current.
Take a piece of fuse wire and connect it to a cell with a switch, as shown in the given circuit
diagram.
Touch the fuse wire before closing the circuit. Now, allow the current to flow through the circuit by
closing the switch for a few seconds. Touch the wire again. Is it hot? Now, disconnect the cell
from the circuit and connect a battery, which is a combination of four similar cells. Switch on the
circuit for a few seconds again. Touch the fuse element. It will be hotter than it was in the
previous case. Continue increasing the number of cells and follow the same steps till the fuse wire
melts. This will show the working of an electric fuse.
An electric fuse can withstand a current up to a certain maximum limit, which depends on the
material from which it has been made. When the current crosses this limit, the fuse breaks,
thereby stopping any further flow of current through the circuit. Hence, it prevents overheating,
which may sometimes result in fire.
The electric fuse shown in the given figure is used in most electrical appliances.
When the power in your house is cut-off due to high current, you should not investigate
the fuse on your own. Call the electrician and wait.
Modern day circuit breakers prevent the flow of current by automatically turning off when the
current in the circuit crosses its maximum limit. These are called miniature circuit breakers
(MCBs).
Read about other circuit breakers such as magnetic circuit breakers and thermal circuit
breakers on the internet.
1. Resistance of conductor
2. Current flowing through the conductor
3. Time of flow of current
H = I2 R t
Electric Power
We use electricity to run various electrical appliances such as bulbs, tube lights, refrigerators,
electric heaters etc. in our homes. Do you think all these home appliances consume an
equal amount of electricity at a given time?
No, the amount of electricity consumed by an electrical appliance depends on the power rated on
that appliance. For example, for 220 V potential supply, a tube light of rated power 40 W draws
0.18 A of current, whereas a bulb of rated power 100 W draws 0.45 A of current.
How can you determine the rate of consumption of energy by a given appliance?
Electric power
Electric power is defined as the rate of consumption of energy or simply the rate of doing work.
The work done by current (I) when it flows in a potential (V) for time (t) can be given by
W = VIt . (ii)
Power, (P) = = VI
Electric power or P = VI
Also, the energy dissipated or consumed by an electric appliance per unit time is given by
i.e., P = I2R
V = IR
I=
P= R=
Where, 1 W = 1 V 1 A = 1 V A
1 watt is defined as the power consumed by an electrical circuit that carries a current of
1 ampere, when it is operated at a potential difference of 1 volt.
Since Watt is a very small unit, we define a larger unit of power as kilowatt (kW). Thus,
1 kW = 1000 W
= 1000 W 3600 s
= 36 105 Ws
= 3.6 106 J
Note that electricity is a flow of electrons and nothing else. Hence, power stations only make the
electrons flow through conducting wires for which they charge us. They do not create or generate
the electrons.
Prepare a list of electrical appliances commonly used in homes. Note down the respective watts
rated on them. Now, try to calculate the amount of current drawn by respective appliances for a
constant voltage of 220 V. Complete the table and discuss the result with your friends.
Electrical appliance Rated power Current drawn
Fan 60 W ..
TV 120 W ..
Refrigerator 160 W ..
Example:
(i) The amount of current drawn by an immersion water heater is 6.8 A. If the heater is operated
on 220 V of potential difference, calculate its power.
Solution:
Given that,
P = VI
Hence, P = 200 V 68 A
= 1360 W
(ii) What is the monthly cost of energy to operate the given immersion water heater 3 hours/day
at Rs 5.00 per unit?
Solution:
= 122400 W
= 122.4 kWh
= 122.4 units
What is the amount of energy consumed by the given water heater in one month?
Electric fuses are devices used for the protection of expensive electric devices such as bulbs, TVs,
fans, etc. A fuse element has very low melting point. Hence, it melts quickly whenever there is a
slight increase in the amount of current. As a result, the path of the current is broken. This
protects the device from being damaged by the abrupt flow of current. The given figure shows a
simple electric fuse that is commonly used in households.
Construct a simple electric circuit that consists of a bulb, a switch, and an electric cell, as shown in
figure (a). Now, switch off the circuit. Take a fuse element, which is easily available in a repair
shop, and connect it to the wire, as shown in figure (b). In this way, you can construct a fuse
circuit that will protect the original circuit from high voltage or current.
Take a piece of fuse wire and connect it to a cell with a switch, as shown in the given circuit
diagram.
Touch the fuse wire before closing the circuit. Now, allow the current to flow through the circuit by
closing the switch for a few seconds. Touch the wire again. Is it hot? Now, disconnect the cell
from the circuit and connect a battery, which is a combination of four similar cells. Switch on the
circuit for a few seconds again. Touch the fuse element. It will be hotter than it was in the
previous case. Continue increasing the number of cells and follow the same steps till the fuse wire
melts. This will show the working of an electric fuse.
An electric fuse can withstand a current up to a certain maximum limit, which depends on the
material from which it has been made. When the current crosses this limit, the fuse breaks,
thereby stopping any further flow of current through the circuit. Hence, it prevents overheating,
which may sometimes result in fire.
The electric fuse shown in the given figure is used in most electrical appliances.
Construction of a fuse
It is a hollow rectangular block of porcelain with two brass terminals. It is fixed on a wooden board
with live wire in and out of the two terminals. The two terminals are connected through the fuse
only.
2. Porcelain grip
It is a rectangular block of porcelain on which two clamps are fixed on the right side to fix them to
the two terminals.
1. Overload
2. Short circuit
3. Voltage fluctuations
Thus a fuse wire will melt when a current more than the maximum permissible value will flow
through the circuit.
Earthing
It means that metal body of the appliance is connected to thick copper wire, which is buried deep
in the earth and its other end is connected to a copper plate surrounded by a mixture of charcoal
and common salt.
As shown in figure, a fuse is placed before the electric meter. This fuse is rated at a value of load
sanctioned by the company. If the user overdraws current than the sanctioned value the fuse
breaks down and the flow of current stops. The electric cable consists of the wires namely live,
neutral and ground wires. The neutral and ground wires are at ground potential. The live and the
neutral wires are connected to the electric meter inside the house whereas the earth wire is
connected to the body of the kWh meter. One more fuse called main fuse is connected to the
output of the meter.
Main switch consists of double pole iron clad switch. This main switch is required to cut off main
supply and from the household circuits. The iron body of main switch is locally earthed to remove
any chances of a short circuit current there. This local earthing thus prevents the user of the main
switch from any kind of a short circuit current to flow through the body.
This system behaves like a tree i.e. like in a tree branches come out from each node likewise there
are nodes and branches in this system too.
Power lines are taken on a main distribution board. From this main board circuits are taken out for
each room by inserting a fuse for each circuit. The current rating of each fuse depends upon the
maximum current the circuit can bear. The current rating of the main fuse is slightly more than the
sum of the current rating of individual fuses.
Switches
Live wire is the potential wire thus if we touch live wire we will get a shock. This is the reason
why we need protection from live wire only.
Why electric switches should never be touched with wet hands?
Water when contaminated becomes a conductor. Wet hands contain water with contaminated
minerals. Thus when we touch a switch with wet hands the water may go inside and can act as
a short circuited bridge between our hand and the wires.
Sockets
Sockets are the fixtures in an electric circuit from which power can be tapped for movable
electric appliance such as heater, radio etc.
It consists of three brass cylinders embedded in porcelain. The cylinder for earthing is larger
than the other two cylinders.
Plugs
A general plug is shown in the figure. The live pin is on the right, neutral on the left and
ground on the top.
Colour coding is useful in order to distinguish the three wires. The old and new conventions are
tabulated below.
They are double pole type switches. These help to on or off an appliance from any of the two
switches. These are required in staircases and long corridors.
In the figure shown, P and Q are the two switches with a bulb in series. Thus it could be seen that
the bulb glows only when both the switches are conducting.