What happens to energy when it hits the electric socket?

Thread Starter

ssolitare

Joined Nov 29, 2010
34
So if there is no plug to further streamline the energy what happens to it?
And if there is a plug to do that, what happens to the energy when the device is off?

When in standby mode what happens to that energy since all of it is not used?
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
So if there is no plug to further streamline the energy what happens to it?
And if there is a plug to do that, what happens to the energy when the device is off?
Your term "streamline" is not obvious in meaning.

However, an open outlet and an open switch are reasonably equivalent, in that no current flows, even though the line voltage is present. The energy present is EMF, or electromotive force, that can propel electrons and cause a current.

When in standby mode what happens to that energy since all of it is not used?
A properly designed circuit only uses the amount of power - not energy - that it needs. A 100 watt lamp only needs about 800 ma to develop that power output. The supply branch its breaker is on may be rated for 20 amps, but the lamp only uses the power it is designed for.

You might be interested in reading our Ebook.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
My car is sitting in my driveway and its huge heavy battery has plenty of electricity that is not "hitting" anything.
I have many unused electricity outlets in my home and their electricity is not "hitting" anything.

When electricity is not used then it isn't spraying all over the place and it isn't doing anything.
 

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
My car is sitting in my driveway and its huge heavy battery has plenty of electricity that is not "hitting" anything.
I have many unused electricity outlets in my home and their electricity is not "hitting" anything.

When electricity is not used then it isn't spraying all over the place and it isn't doing anything.
This is why I leave things plugged in. Otherwise, the electricity pours out of the plug and makes a mess everywhere. They call them plugs for a reason.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
This is why I leave things plugged in. Otherwise, the electricity pours out of the plug and makes a mess everywhere. They call them plugs for a reason.
Hee, hee. What do you call the mess made by liquid electricity that poured from all the outlets?
 

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
Hee, hee. What do you call the mess made by liquid electricity that poured from all the outlets?
Depends on where the energy comes from. If you have a coal fired station providing power, then it's typically dirty, coal like substance, but if you have a majority of solar power them it leaks sunbeams everywhere.

Well, that's the good thing about solar: even if it breaks, the worst it can do is spill sunbeams everywhere.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Oh no. I am doomed.
Some of my electricity comes from Niagara Falls so my unused outlets will pour water all over the place.
Some of my electricity comes from burning natural gas to make steam so my home will be full of steam.
Some of my electricity comes from Nuclear reactors so I will be fried.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
If you are dealing with a non-steady state supply, odd things do happen, but not too bad.

If you hook up an extremely long wire, and add a 5V source on one end, it takes time for the other end go from 0-5V as well (speed of light). This can be measured with a good oscilloscope. (Any long wire acts like many tiny inductors in series)

Other non-steady state switches (non sinewave, non-DC), will "bounce" off the end of the wire, coming back to the supply. Part of this is the reason impedance matching needs to be done with antennas, the other part is antenna design for maximum radiated power.
 

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
Fun fact: Measure AC mains with your multimeter at 230V or 115V. Then turn the switch off. For most switches, you measure about 3V-6V. Explain.

(I know why, I'm just curious what others think.)
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Fun fact: Measure AC mains with your multimeter at 230V or 115V. Then turn the switch off. For most switches, you measure about 3V-6V. Explain.

(I know why, I'm just curious what others think.)
Everybody knows that it is just the free background zero point energy all around us that would power everything for eternity if smart people only told us the secret about connecting to it.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
I'm going to turn off Canada's power just so that AudioGuru can test his interruptible supplies for a few days. :)
I bought many alkaline AA cells on boxing day so I am prepared for an electricity blackout. I also have many charged Ni-MH AA cells.

It will be very difficult to stop Niagara Falls and the nuclear generating stations. But the grid has redundancy so turning off one part won't make any difference (except Quebec has no backup lines and a wind storm turned them off).
 

mbohuntr

Joined Apr 6, 2009
446
Fun fact: Measure AC mains with your multimeter at 230V or 115V. Then turn the switch off. For most switches, you measure about 3V-6V. Explain.

(I know why, I'm just curious what others think.)
Just guessing here... Is there some residual capacitance still present???
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
Just in case the OP or anyone else is a bit confused - the last post having to do with the topic was #4. By now the hijack has taken over.
 

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
Just guessing here... Is there some residual capacitance still present???
Probably not. I'm fairly sure it is due to leakage current across the switch. The multimeter is approximately 10 Mohm impedence and to get 6V from 230V requires a 383 Mohm off-state resistance; most are within 100 Mohm. Given the gap between on and off is usually only a few mm this resistance seems feasible. Though capacitance is also a possible cause - the switch could act as a capacitor as part of a capacitive divide involving the meter's capacitance.
 
Top