Mains electricity

This is what a plug looks like under the cover. The wire colours are the same almost everywhere, but the components and positions will vary depending on where you live.

Be aware that electricity is very dangerous, so don't play around with plugs unless you know what you are doing (and make sure they aren't connected).

This symbol on a specification plate means the product is double insulated and has a fully plastic casing with nothing sticking out. Therefore, it has no earth wire (ground), since there is no risk of the casing becoming live.

The fuse is yet another safety measure, they break the circuit if the current is too high, by way of a thin wire breaking. An alternative to fuses is a circuit breaker. These don't have to be replaced like fuses - merely reset. They also work quicker. They work by breaking the circuit when the current in the neutral wire is less than in the live.

The equation triangle below shows the important relationship between power, current and voltage.

Now we look at how you can calculate the cost of individual appliances, which could help you save money on the electricity bill. Have a look at the example below:

A kettle uses 8kW and is used for a total of 1h30m in a month. Calculate the cost if 1 unit is 7p.

Cost = kWh x cost per unit = 8 x 1.5 x 0.07 = £0.84

If you need to reference this article in your work, you can copy-paste the following depending on your required format:

APA (American Psychological Association)
Mains electricity. (2017). In ScienceAid. Retrieved Apr 24, 2024, from https://scienceaid.net/physics/electricity/mainselectricity.html

MLA (Modern Language Association) "Mains electricity." ScienceAid, scienceaid.net/physics/electricity/mainselectricity.html Accessed 24 Apr 2024.

Chicago / Turabian ScienceAid.net. "Mains electricity." Accessed Apr 24, 2024. https://scienceaid.net/physics/electricity/mainselectricity.html.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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