ElectricityIntroduction

The Expensive Shower

Part of Electrical Power & Energy · GCSE GCSE Physics revision

This introduction covers The Expensive Shower within Electrical Power & Energy for GCSE Physics. Revise Electrical Power & Energy in Electricity for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 15 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 1 of 15

Practice

15 questions

Recall

30 flashcards

⚡ The Expensive Shower

An electric shower uses about 9000 W — that's 9000 joules EVERY SECOND! A 10-minute shower transfers 5.4 million joules. Meanwhile, your phone charger at 5 W uses just 5 joules per second. Leave it plugged in all day (86,400 seconds) and it transfers only 432,000 joules — less than a tenth of one shower! This is why power ratings matter for electricity bills. High power appliances used frequently are what cost you money.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Electrical Power & Energy. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Three Power Equations — When to Use Each Kilowatt-Hours (kWh) — The Billing Unit Electrical Power Formulas

Practice Questions for Electrical Power & Energy

What is the unit of electrical power?

A. Joule (J)
B. Ampere (A)
C. Watt (W)
D. Volt (V)

1 markfoundation

Explain why the National Grid transmits electricity at high voltage to reduce energy losses.

2 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

Unit of power?

Watt (W) or joules per second (J/s)

What is 1 watt?

1 joule of energy transferred per second (1 W = 1 J/s)

15 questions on Electrical Power & Energy — practise free

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Electrical Power & Energy

Three Power Equations — When to Use Each