1. My hair dryer is marked as a 1500 Watt hair dryer. How much current does it use? If the same hair dryer is used in Europe, how much current will it use?
2. A Taser stun gun uses a series of electrical pulses with a voltage of 1200 Volts. This generates about 3 mA of current. What is the resistance of the human body?
3. A central air conditioner in a typical American home operates on a 220V circuit (higher voltage than the standard 120V wired throughout the house) and uses 20 A of current.
a. How much power is used when it is running?
b. Why is it wired to run off 220V instead of 120 V?
c. PEPCO (the electrical utility in Md) charges 12 cents/ kwh for electricity. If the AC is running for 6 hours per day, how much will I spend on electricity per summer month?
4. I was taught as a kid that the way to check whether a 9 volt battery (the type that has both terminals on the top) was to put it on my tongue and if there is a tingling sensation it is OK. Why would I not have to worry about electrocuting myself?
5. Natural gas is rapidly replacing coal because of lower prices. Discuss how this impacts climate change. Should this be encouraged?