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Show FACTS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT ELECTRICITY Electricity Is measured by the kilowatt kilo-watt hour. The rates for buying current cur-rent from the electric light plant for power, light or heat are always so much for each kilowatt hour of electricity elec-tricity consumed. To explain the term needs, first, a clear definition, ami then a comparison. Every one will understand that a certain amount of force must bo used to drive electric energy through a circuit. This force Is measured In volts; thus wo have ilO-volt circuits, and 22"-oll circuits, the one expressing 'Just twice the force of the other; but the quantity of current passing through a circuit depends upon the force and the resistance. re-sistance. This quantity is expressed by different term, namely ampheres. Now the efficacv of .the current depends de-pends upon both force and quantity, and to express this efficacy or united actiou we multiply the force by the quantity; that Is the volts by the ampheres. We express the result In watts. Thus 110 volts multiplied by 5 ampheres Is l.luu watts. A kilowatt Is of course l.nou w atL, , w hich Is the equivalent to about 1 1-3 horsepower. In charging a battery the lighting companies' bill ror the use of so many watts for so many hours; thus, i.i.hmi watts for 10 hours would be charged as 10 kilowatt hours, which at 5 cents a kilowatt hour would be Z) cents, n charge that seems little enough for 10 hours' use , at 14.1 horsepower. Hut what a kilowatt hour Is worth may be Judged by what it will do' Thus, a kilowatt hour, figures ar engineer of the General Electric , company, will light 20 lC-candle power incandescent lamps or two standard arc lamps for one hour; It will pump 10o gallons of water to a he.ght of 25 feet; compress 470 cubic feet of free air H0 pounds; drive an ordinary passenger elevator 175 feet; piint 2.60i circulars on a 12 by 21 job press, or l.nOO sheets on a 32 by 47 cylinder press; run a sewing machine for two hours; nupply air for a church organ for one service; mix 2 1-2 cubic yards of concrete; bout a 2-plnt chaflr.g dish for four hours; mix sufficient dough for ir.o loaves of bread and gr.nd f.00 pounds of coffee. It will drive a runabout I 1-2 miles or a 3-ton truck one mile. Mining Science. |
