The EU has recently imposed limits on the power ratings of vacuum cleaners, and further limits on other appliances could soon be in place. In this activity students consider a further (fictional) future restriction, on home electricity use. Students calculate the energy transferred daily by the appliances they use. They are then set the challenge of deciding how to cut their personal electricity consumption – do they go for a shorter shower or banish blow-dries?
Learning objective
- Solve a problem using scientific knowledge of the power ratings of electrical appliances and the energy they transfer.
Try the activity
Appliance science
Appliance science (Teachers guide)
Curriculum link
England National Curriculum KS3:
- Working Scientifically: Analysis and evaluation: Interpret data … to draw conclusions.
- Physics: Energy: Comparing power ratings of appliances and comparing amounts of energy transferred
GCSE Combined Science subject content:
- Working Scientifically: Analysis and evaluation: Interpret data … to draw conclusions.
- Physics: Energy: Power as the rate of transfer of energy.
Running the activity
Dilemma The EU has imposed limits on home electricity use. Can students make big enough cuts
Science Students identify appliances with high power ratings, and rank appliances according to their power ratings. They calculate energy transferred by electrical appliances
Decision Students show the energy transferred by the appliances they use in a typical day and decide how to cut their appliance use so as not to exceed their daily personal electricity allowance of 1.5 kWh.
Plenary Reflecting on the decision
For detailed running notes, download the teachers guide.
Weblinks
The news story that the activity was based on.
Draft proposal which outlines possibilities for future restrictions on electrical appliances.