Final answer:
The formula for electrical power in a circuit is Watts = Volts x Amps, where power is the product of current in amperes and voltage in volts. A household circuit typically supports a maximum of 1800 or 2400 watts, depending on the circuit breaker rating. This formula is used for calculating the power consumption of household appliances.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct formula to determine how much electricity you can draw on each circuit is given by Watts = Volts x Amps.
Electric power (P) is the rate at which energy is used or converted in an electric circuit and can be calculated as the product of the current (I) in amperes and the voltage (V) in volts.
Thus, the power in watts is P = IV, where 1 ampere multiplied by 1 volt equals 1 watt.
To illustrate, if a circuit has a maximum allowable current (typically regulated by circuit breakers) and you know the voltage, you can find out the maximum power that the circuit can provide.
Houses in the U.S. usually have circuit breakers with a max of 15 or 20 Amperes and, given a voltage of 120 volts, this translates to a maximum power capacity of 1800 watts or 2400 watts respectively.
When calculating energy consumption, for example, knowing the power rating of appliances such as toasters, which have a higher rating compared to a digital clock due to requiring more energy to perform their function, can be helpful. You can estimate the energy consumed by multiplying their power (in watts) by the number of hours they are used per day.