EFFICIENCY

USEFUL ENERGY IS THE ENERGY THAT CAN BE USED TO DO A CERTAIN WORK.

WASTED ENERGY IS THE ENERGY THAT IS LOST TO THE SURROUNDING AND CANNOT BE USED TO DO
USEFUL WORK.
THE EFFICIENCY OF A DEVICE IS DEFINED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF THE INPUT ENERGY THAT IS
TRANSFORMED INTO USEFUL ENERGY
QUESTION 1

An electric motor has an input power of 120 w. It lifts a 20kg load to a vertical height of 1.5m in 5s.
what is the efficiency of the electric motor? [ g=9.8 ms-2]
2.11 APPRECIATING THE IMPORTANCE OF
MAXIMISING THE EFFICIENCY OF DEVICES
The efficiency of a device can be increased in the following ways:
(a)Reduce friction and heat loss. This can be done by using quality lubricants. An example is the
usage of quality lubricating oil in car engines.
(b)Improve the design of the device to reduce vibration and sound.
(c)For moving devices, like cars and aeroplanes, a streamlined body will reduce air friction and
hence reduce heat loss.