Title Post date
Light Bulb Efficiency and Hand Crank Energy Generation Keywords: breadboard, circuit, efficiency, electricity generation, energy, energy conversion, Lend an Experiment (LEx), lighting

What does it really take to power a light bulb?


2 years 25 weeks ago
Heating Efficiency Keywords: efficiency, electric, energy, gas, power

Which is better: gas or electric heat?


7 years 26 weeks ago
Fan Efficiency Keywords: efficiency, electric fan, power

How can we measure the efficiency of an electric fan?

When you're out shopping for an electric fan, it might be a good idea to look for one that not only keeps you cool, but keeps your energy consumption low, too. Using an anemometer, Kill-A-Watt meter and a little bit of math, you can figure out how efficient your fan really is.

5 years 23 weeks ago
Energy Use in Cars 2: Constant Speed Cruising Keywords: air resistance, drag, efficiency, energy use in cars, fuel economy, vehicle transportation

If a body in motion tends to stay in motion, why do we need to burn gas to travel at highway speeds?

Why do we need to burn gas to keep travelling at the same speed? The basic answer is "because if we didn't, eventually the car would stop." In everyday life, there is always friction and air resistance that opposes any motion, and if you leave a moving object alone, this friction and drag will eventually cause it to stop. This lecture looks at how this drag impacts a car.

7 years 43 weeks ago
Energy Use in Cars 1: Stop-and-Go Driving Keywords: efficiency, energy use in cars, fuel economy, kinetic energy, vehicle transportation

When does cycling cost more in fuel than driving?

People recommend commuting by bicycle rather than by car to save energy. However sometimes when a cyclist pushes the button to make a traffic light change, it means that a bus full of people has to stop. When a cyclist makes the bus stop like this, is the extra fuel it has to burn to get back up to speed MORE than the fuel saved by choosing to commute by bicycle rather than car?

7 years 43 weeks ago
Energy Efficiency and the Jevons Paradox Keywords: consumption, efficiency, energy, jevons, solid state lighting

Will increasing efficiency really reduce energy consumption?

Increases in energy efficiency have been shown to increase, rather than decrease, consumption.

7 years 19 weeks ago
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C21: Physics Teaching for the 21st Century
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