A **kilowatt (kW)** is a unit of power that represents 1,000 watts. Power is the rate at which energy is used or produced, and it's a key concept in electricity and energy.
To break it down:
- **Watt (W)** is the basic unit of power, named after James Watt, who helped develop the steam engine. One watt is the power used when one joule of energy is used per second.
- **Kilowatt (kW)** simply means 1,000 watts. So when something is rated at 1 kW, it means it uses 1,000 watts of power.
For example, if you have a 1 kW electric heater, it means the heater consumes 1,000 watts of electricity per hour.
### To summarize:
- **1 kW = 1,000 watts**
- It's commonly used to measure the power of appliances, machines, and even power plants.
If you're measuring something like your homeβs electricity use, you might see "kWh" (kilowatt-hours) on your electric bill. This tells you how much energy you've used, while kW measures the power or rate at which energy is used.