It makes no sense to use the wrong term.  If it is important to know the
number of amps, so as not to overload the circuit, then the correct term:
current should be used.

Euric


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Chernack" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, 2004-02-03 12:35
Subject: [USMA:28492] Re: Torque and horsepower


> Marcus,
>
> Power is usually given in amps because it is easier to calculate the load
on
> a particular breaker in your house this way.  For instance, if I have a 15
> amp circut and I put a 3 amp appliance on it, I know my remaining draw
> before blowing the circut is 10 or so amps (allowing for a margin of
> safety).  If power was given in watts only, I would have to divide watts
by
> volts to get the amperage draw.  BTW, most, if not all appliances give the
> wattage as well.  Remember, American homes have 3 phase power coming into
> them.  One bus at 220 divided into 2 at 110 each.  The total amperage
> provided is usually around 200.
>
> Phil
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Behalf Of Ma Be
> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 12:19 PM
> To: U.S. Metric Association
> Subject: [USMA:28491] Re: Torque and horsepower
>
>
> Dear John, I think I could answer some of your questions below (they're
> interspersed).
>
> On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 18:49:56
>  john mercer wrote:
> >Is the output of electric motors still given in horsepower?
>
> To my knowledge this is one of the few products that I see reasonably
> correctly quoted in the market, i.e. in W.  There might be exceptions
though
> as you found below.
>
> >  I have been on some small appliance web sites and they give the power
of
> the motors in amps.
>
> True.  However, I cannot understand (for the love!...) of me why ANYONE
> should quote power in 'amps' (S-I-C)!  Whoever does that is evidently
either
> delusional or has absolutely no understanding of the most fundamental
> principles of Physics...  The ampere is a unit of *current*, NOT power!
>
> >...  I don't know if Kilowatts would ever be excepted in North America,
> because everybody uses horsepower all the time...
>
> Who knows?  As long as the populace continues to treat measurements in
> general as some "cultural" aspect in their lives we'll continue to
> experience and see such nonsense in the marketplace, what can I say?...
>
> Marcus
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> Get 25MB of email storage with Lycos Mail Plus!
> Sign up today -- http://www.mail.lycos.com/brandPage.shtml?pageId=plus
>
>

Reply via email to