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"the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:06 pm
  #31  
 
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by tony126
Introduced my wife to an electric kettle and 4 piece toaster. She was un-aware that kettles could switch themselves off. Bought both at Target.
Yep bought a cordless at Target, 30 odd bucks, it still gets strange looks..."you mean you drink Instant coffee?"
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:06 pm
  #32  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
Jesus! Did noone pay attention in skewl? I refer you to my earlier post...

Basic tenet of life. Ohm's law. In terms of power, P=IV, or in English, the power is equal to the current times the voltage. The voltage here is 120V, not 240V as in UK. So for the same amount of power, you need double the current. Passing current through a conductor (the cable!) causes it to heat.

If the voltage is halved, then the current has to double to give the same power. Double voltage = double heat.

Dont mean to be facetious, but it really is little more complex than a torch circuit.

Mr Bronson?
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:07 pm
  #33  
 
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
Jesus! Did noone pay attention in skewl? I refer you to my earlier post...

Basic tenet of life. Ohm's law. In terms of power, P=IV, or in English, the power is equal to the current times the voltage. The voltage here is 120V, not 240V as in UK. So for the same amount of power, you need double the current. Passing current through a conductor (the cable!) causes it to heat.

If the voltage is halved, then the current has to double to give the same power. Double voltage = double heat.

Dont mean to be facetious, but it really is little more complex than a torch circuit.
What's a torch circuit?
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:23 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
If the voltage is halved, then the current has to double to give the same power. Double voltage = double heat.

Dont mean to be facetious, but it really is little more complex than a torch circuit.
that explained the heat, but not why the cables are so spindly over here
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:40 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Bob
that explained the heat, but not why the cables are so spindly over here

Bob - shouldn't you be tucked up in bed - early night before the big day? (It is tomorrow, isn't it?)
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:43 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Bob
that explained the heat, but not why the cables are so spindly over here
Easy. Cheaper to make. I bought a toaster for $15 at Walmart at the weekend. For that money, they cant possibly use top components, so shitty thin cables are the order of the day. And all those people whingeing about $50 for a kettle are comparing that to US prices. A reasonable kettle in the UK is about £25. Not so different.
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 1:56 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by mrcusa
Why is it that appliances in the UK, kettles in particular, have thick leads on them and appear to be very safe.

Kettles here have thin leads and get almost as hot as the water during use!

Martin

If you halve the voltage, you double the current for the same power. And if you double the current, you square the heating effect in the wire.
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 2:09 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Elvira
Bob - shouldn't you be tucked up in bed - early night before the big day? (It is tomorrow, isn't it?)
I should be, but I've got to pick the missus up at 11

~And yeah, it's tomorrow...long drive down, but looks fairly straight forward to get there...
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 3:04 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by fatbrit
If you halve the voltage, you double the current for the same power. And if you double the current, you square the heating effect in the wire.

Hurrah! I didnt want to get into I2R, I got enough crap for this!

Thanks for backing me up! I actually said double current=double heat, which as you pointed out is an oversimplification.

End result is warm wires. Not warm water!
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 6:18 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by fatbrit
If you halve the voltage, you double the current for the same power. And if you double the current, you square the heating effect in the wire.

Ohms law and volts X amps = watts
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Old Nov 8th 2005, 11:00 pm
  #41  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
Easy. Cheaper to make. I bought a toaster for $15 at Walmart at the weekend. For that money, they cant possibly use top components, so shitty thin cables are the order of the day. And all those people whingeing about $50 for a kettle are comparing that to US prices. A reasonable kettle in the UK is about £25. Not so different.
That would be me (all those people). At least in the UK you CAN get a cheaper kettle.

BTW, the wife said she saw electric kettles on sale for $10 at Aldi last week.
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Old Nov 9th 2005, 12:25 am
  #42  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by lionheart
Ohms law and volts X amps = watts
If I recall, Ohms law states that the current in a circuit is proportional to the applied voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. For AC circuits, read impedance.

Mathematically, V=IR (where V is voltage, I is current and R is resistance)

Since P=IV (P is power, product of current and voltage)

we can substitute IR for V in the second equation, giving

P=I2R where the 2 indicates "squared".

So the Power disspiated in the wire is indeed squared by doubling the current.

If the current was 4 amps, then doubled to 8 amps, the increase in power dissipation would be (4x4)/(8/8)=4, i.e. four times as much heat.

I really am bored with this now....if only I could shake the military signals instructor out of my persona, I could get out more!
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Old Nov 9th 2005, 12:31 am
  #43  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
If I recall, Ohms law states that the current in a circuit is proportional to the applied voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. For AC circuits, read impedance.

Mathematically, V=IR (where V is voltage, I is current and R is resistance)

Since P=IV (P is power, product of current and voltage)

we can substitute IR for V in the second equation, giving

P=I2R where the 2 indicates "squared".

So the Power disspiated in the wire is indeed squared by doubling the current.

If the current was 4 amps, then doubled to 8 amps, the increase in power dissipation would be (4x4)/(8/8)=4, i.e. four times as much heat.

I really am bored with this now....if only I could shake the military signals instructor out of my persona, I could get out more!


Watt?
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Old Nov 9th 2005, 1:28 am
  #44  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by Roadster280
If I recall, Ohms law states that the current in a circuit is proportional to the applied voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. For AC circuits, read impedance.

Mathematically, V=IR (where V is voltage, I is current and R is resistance)

Since P=IV (P is power, product of current and voltage)

we can substitute IR for V in the second equation, giving

P=I2R where the 2 indicates "squared".

So the Power disspiated in the wire is indeed squared by doubling the current.

If the current was 4 amps, then doubled to 8 amps, the increase in power dissipation would be (4x4)/(8/8)=4, i.e. four times as much heat.

I really am bored with this now....if only I could shake the military signals instructor out of my persona, I could get out more!
Best to describe the practical effects, i.e. any US household item that requires high power is simply going to suck compared with its UK equivalent.
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Old Nov 9th 2005, 2:29 am
  #45  
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Default Re: "the Brits are way ahead of us on this"

Originally Posted by fatbrit
Best to describe the practical effects, i.e. any US household item that requires high power is simply going to suck compared with its UK equivalent.

Isnt "suck" and Americanism....(see other thread!)
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