Final answer:
When the belt drive connecting a powerful motor to an air conditioning unit is broken and the motor is running freely, you do not need to worry about energy consumption. This is because of back EMF, which reduces the energy consumption of the motor.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the belt drive connecting a powerful motor to an air conditioning unit is broken and the motor is running freely, you should not be worried that the motor is consuming a great deal of energy for no useful purpose. This is because of the concept of back EMF (Electromotive Force).
Back EMF occurs when the motor is disconnected from the load and is running freely. In this situation, the motor acts like a generator and produces a voltage opposite to the applied voltage. This generated voltage counters the supply voltage and reduces the energy consumption of the motor.
Therefore, in this condition, the motor consumes very little energy and does not pose a significant concern in terms of energy wastage.