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What happens when 220 volt equipment is plugged into a 110 volt source or if 110-120 volt equipment is plugged into a 60 volt source assuming all alternating current?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
The 120 volt equipment is likely to burn up or burn out sooner. The filaments in a 120 volt bulb will burn a lot brighter for a much shorter period of time. That is how movie studios used to produce a lot of light without using expensive equipment. They would replace light bulbs every day. Electric motors would be far more powerful and run hotter. Movie studios used them for special effects. They did not care if an elevator took off like a rocket once and burned out the motor.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe short answer is that normally the power taken - and the resultant power output - would be only one quarter of the power at the equipment's rated voltage.
However some small electrical appliances - such as electric shavers, etc. - have been designed to run safely on different supply voltages whilst using and outputting almost the same amount of power. The appliance's rating plate will state the range of suitable voltages.
Such small, low-wattage, appliances or electronics items work in that way because they contain some built-in converter circuitry having semiconductors, Transformers and resistors, etc. This is why you can plug such low-wattage appliances or electronics items into your wall and not have them "fry"... The built in converter circuitry converts the supply voltage to the right level.
A detailed answer
If you tried to use something that was designed for 240 volts on only 120 volts, or 110-120 volt equipment at only 60 volts, the result is not that you would get half the power output: you would get only a quarter!
That is because of Ohms Law, which says:
Amps = volts divided by resistance (ohms)
and the Power Law which says: Power (watts) = volts multiplied by amps
so it is also true to say:
Power = volts x ( volts / ohms ) or V2/ohms
If the appliance was designed to run on 240 volts, with a certain number of ohms of resistance, its power is given by the formula as:
Power = 240 x 240 / ohms = 57600 / ohms.
So, if the resistance of the appliance is 5 ohms its power consumption is 57600 / 5
= 11,520 Watts = 11.52 kilowatts
If we tried to use that same appliance on 120 volts, which is half of 240 volts:
The appliance's resistance would stay the same so the resulting power taken at 120 volts is:
= 120 x 120 / ohms = 14400 / 5 = 2880 watts
Another way to see it is: if V = 240 volts, and if you are plugging into only half of V: Power = (V/2)2 / ohms = (V2/4) / ohms
but as the appliance's resistance would still be the same, the resulting power = 1/4 x (240 x 240 / ohms) = 1/4 x 57600 / 5 = 2880 watts.
Anyway, however you calculate it, 2880 watts at 120 volts is only a quarter of the power which would be supplied at 240 volts, 11520 watts.
The story does not end here, however!
If you want to supply 11,520 watts of power at only 120 volts, the current required would be 11520 / 120 = 96 amps.
To allow such a current to be carried safely to the appliance without catching on fire would require extremely thick wiring to be used from the main breaker panel to the appliance. Also, it would not be possible to use any standard 120 volt breakers, plugs and socket outlets to carry such a current.
So no appliances for normal domestic home use are manufactured to operate at such high power outputs on 120 volts.
However, to supply a power of 11,520 watts at 240 volts, the current required would be 11520 / 240 = 48 amps. This is well within the normal specifications for the standard wiring sizes and outlets used for 240 volts supplies, to allow such a current to be carried safely to the appliance without catching on fire.
That is why high-powered appliances, such as clothes dryers and kitchen ranges, for normal domestic home use, are manufactured to operate at 240 volts.
For more information please see the answers to the Related Questions listed below.
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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
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- The Greenland Current -The Kamchatka Current -The Labrador Current
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What happens when 220 volt equipment is plugged into a 110 volt source or if 110 120 volt equipment is plugged into a 60 volt source assuming all alternating current?
temporary it blows or KABOOOMM....
What happens when 240 volt equipment is plugged into a 120 volt source or if 110 120 volt equipment is plugged into a 60 volt source assuming all alternating current?
When equipment is run at a lower voltage than it is designed for, it does not operate correctly. A light will glow dimly or not at all, a heater produces much less heat. Electronic equipment may not function at all.
When an alternating voltage is applied to purely resistive circuit what happens?
When an alternating voltage is applied to a purely resistive circuit, the resulting current is in phase with the voltage.
What happens when a coil is rotated between two magnets?
The coil will produce an alternating electric current.
What happens if a coil is rotated between two magnets?
The coil will produce an alternating electric current.
What happens when a battery is connected to a alternating current source?
this action is very dangerous and should not be considered.
What is the skin effect in electric?
In electricity, this happens with alternating current. It is the tendency for the electrons to flow near thesurface ("skin") of the conductor.
What happens when a metal aerial absorbs radio waves?
It creates an alternating current at the same frequency as the radio wave gdafeagtdfvgaergfef
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A circuit breaker is easier to design for ac than dc because alternating current (ac) naturally goes to zero 100 or 120 times per second and this helps to extinguish any arc. Therefore an ac circuit breaker would not be suitable for dc assuming the same voltage and current ratings.
What happens to the fuse if there is something wrong with the electrical equipment being used?
IF the current drain is too high, then it melts.
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A: If put in series current will decrease if put in parallel current will increase assuming the input voltage remains the same
What is alternated current?
That refers to a current in which the direction of flow changes continuously. In household current, this usually happens at 50 or 60 cycles per second (depending on the country), but the definition of alternating current can include just about any other frequency, as well.
