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A 100 watt light bulb has an efficiency of 95%. How much thermal energy will this light bulb add to the auditorium if it is left on for 4hours?

User Boyenec
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Final answer:

A 100-watt light bulb with an efficiency of 95% will add 72000 Joules of thermal energy to the auditorium after being left on for 4 hours.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate how much thermal energy a 100-watt light bulb with an efficiency of 95% will add to an auditorium after being left on for 4 hours, we use the formula for power and energy conversion:

P (Power) = 100 W (watts)

t (Time) = 4 hours = 4 × 3600 seconds = 14400 seconds

Efficiency = 95%

Energy (E) = P × t × Efficiency

Since only the inefficient part converts to thermal energy, we calculate:

Inefficient energy = P × t × (1 - Efficiency)

E = 100 W × 14400 s × (1 - 0.95)

E = 100 W × 14400 s × 0.05

E = 72000 Ws or Joules (since 1 Ws = 1 J)

Therefore, the light bulb will add 72000 Joules of thermal energy to the auditorium.

User Aaron Sherman
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