Power is the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. There are several units used to measure power in different systems. Here are five common units of power:
1. **Watt (W)** – This is the SI unit of power. One watt is equal to one joule per second (1 W = 1 J/s). It’s commonly used in electrical and mechanical systems.
2. **Kilowatt (kW)** – This is 1,000 watts (1 kW = 1,000 W). It's often used to measure the power of electrical appliances or engines.
3. **Horsepower (hp)** – Commonly used to measure the power of engines. 1 horsepower is approximately 745.7 watts (1 hp ≈ 745.7 W). This is still commonly used in automotive and mechanical industries.
4. **British Thermal Unit per hour (BTU/h)** – Used primarily in heating and cooling systems. It measures the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1°F. 1 BTU/h ≈ 0.293 watts.
5. **Calorie per second (cal/s)** – Sometimes used in scientific contexts, especially in thermodynamics. 1 calorie per second equals approximately 4.184 watts.
These units all represent power but are used in different fields depending on the context.