

So a 60W light bulb converts 60 joules of electrical energy to heat and light energy every second! The symbol for the watt is W and one watt = one joule per second (joule is the unit of energy). Watts are a measurement of electrical power. That’s 6,242 followed by 15 zeros – a lot of electrons! One amp is the current generated when 6.242 x 1018 electrons pass a particular point per second. Current is a measurement of how much charge is moving through a particular point in a unit of time. The ampere (often shortened to amp) is the unit of electric current. We use Ohm’s Law for many things, such as determining the maximum microwave size or the maximum number of light fixtures a circuit can safely handle without creating a fire hazard.Amps, watts, volts and ohms are units of measurement in a similar way that the metre is a unit for distance. The Ohm’s Law wheel illustrates the following formulas: Ohm’s Law wheel with all the formulas that can be used to calculate the voltage in volts, current in amps, resistance in ohms, or power in watts. Note that all of the formulas in the wheel assume a power factor of 1. The Ohm’s Law wheel shows all the formulas you can use to find volts, watts, amps, or ohms.

The formula allows us to derive the equations for calculating any measurement given two other known values. We can use Ohm’s Law to calculate the volts, watts, amps, or ohms, given that at least two measurements are known. Our watts to amps calculator uses this formula to convert between power and current in electrical circuits, for example. Watt’s Law power triangle where P represents power, I represents current, and V represents voltage. Just like before, cover the unit you want to solve to reveal the formula to solve it.įor instance, to solve for amps, cover the I with your thumb, which reveals that the current is equal to P ÷ V. Similar to the Ohm’s Law triangle, the power formula triangle illustrates the formula to find watts, volts, or amps. Thus, the power formula states that power P is equal to the current I times the voltage V. We often use the power formula in conjunction with Ohm’s Law to solve electrical properties when the power of the circuit is known. This formula is very similar to Ohm’s Law and can help solve for power or wattage. Watt’s Law defines the power formula, which states that electric power measured in watts is equal to the circuit’s current times the voltage. This explains why the letters are not related to modern-day units used in the formula. It wasn’t until 1881 that the Volt, Ampere, and Ohm were defined, over 50 years after Ohm’s Law was published. Georg Simon Ohm created Ohm’s Law in a paper published in 1827, well before voltage, current, and resistance units were defined. In the Ohm’s Law formula, V represents voltage, I represents intensity, or current, and R represents resistance. What do the Letters in the Ohm’s Law Formula Mean? Ohm’s Law triangle, where V represents voltage, I represents current, and R represents resistance.įor instance, to solve for volts, cover the V with your thumb, which reveals that the voltage is equal to I × R. To use it, cover the unit you want to calculate to reveal the formula to solve it.
Watts to amps how to#
The Ohm’s Law triangle illustrates how to calculate voltage, current, or resistance. The formula states that the current I is equal to the voltage V divided by the resistance R.Ĭomponents of Ohm’s Law The following table shows the electrical quantities and units used in Ohm’s Law. The Ohm’s Law formula is I = V/R, where I is the current through a conductor measured in amperes, V is the potential difference across the conductor measured in volts, and R is the resistance of a conductor measured in ohms. Alternatively, you can use the calculator to solve power and resistance if you know the voltage and current.

Ohm’s Law allows you to calculate voltage, current, power, and resistance of an electrical circuit if you know at least two of the other values.įor example, if you know the voltage and resistance, use the calculator above to find power and current using Ohm’s Law. More specifically, it states that the current through a circuit element is directly proportional to the potential difference applied to it and inversely proportional to the resistance. Ohm’s Law defines the relationship between electric current, resistance, and voltage.
