Maximum power and operating power
Teaching Guidance
for 11-14
Maximum power
Wrong Track: The Rolls-Royce has a power of 338 kilowatt.
Right Lines: The maximum power output for the Rolls-Royce is 338 kilowatt.
Interpreting the figures
Thinking about the teaching
When comparing the power figures of appliances, it is important to stress the point that the figures quoted need to be correctly interpreted. For the Rolls-Royce, 338,000 joule / second is the maximum energy cost per second. The car can, of course, be driven much more carefully so that the energy cost per second is much lower. On the other hand, the power figures for kitchen appliances such as kettles and fridges are likely to be fixed at their normal operating power.
