How does it work?

Electricity Explained: Volts, Amps, & Watts

Let's use the **Water in a Hose** analogy to understand how electricity works! [Image of water hose analogy for electricity]

💧 1. Volts (V) - Electrical Pressure

Volts measure the **electrical pressure** or force that pushes the electricity (the electrons) through a wire.

Hose Analogy: Volts are like the **water pressure** in the hose. Turn the faucet up, and the pressure (Volts) goes up, pushing the water harder.

**Example:** A standard **AA battery** is 1.5V. A wall outlet is usually 120V (or 230V), which is much higher pressure!

🌊 2. Amps (A) - Electrical Flow

Amps measure the **volume** or **rate** of the electrical flow. It's how many electrons are moving through the wire every second.

Hose Analogy: Amps are like the **diameter or width of the hose**. A wider hose allows a larger volume of water (Amps) to flow through.

**Example:** A small **LED light** only needs about 0.1 Amps. A powerful **hair dryer** needs 10 Amps or more for a large flow of electricity.

💡 3. Watts (W) - Power/Work

Watts measure the **electrical power**—the total amount of work being done or the energy used per second. It's the combination of Volts and Amps.

Hose Analogy: Watts are like the **final force or power** of the stream hitting something, like a pinwheel. It depends on both the pressure (Volts) and the amount of water (Amps).

**Formula:** $Watts = Volts \times Amps$. A 120V circuit pushing 10A of current generates 1,200 Watts of power.

Watch the Video Explanation

Check out this quick video that uses the same analogies to make the concepts even clearer!