If a bulb has a current of 20mA and voltage of 5V, and the current cost of electricity is £3 for a kW/hour. How much money would you spend to power the bulb for 8 hours? Are these good estimates for the current, voltage and cost of electricity?

Well we know that the power of the bulb is given by P = IV. Therefore the power = (20 x 10-3 Coulomb per second) * (5 Joules per Coulomb) = 100 x 10-3 Joules per second = 0.1 W.

So the bulb uses 0.1 Joules of energy per second or 0.1 Watts. 

To power the bulb for one hour you need 0.1 W  = 0.0001kW

Therefore 0.0001 * 300 pence = 0.03 pence per hour. 

So for 8 hours it would cost 0.24 pence. 

AV
Answered by Anuradha V. Physics tutor

2586 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

There is a train A. On the roof of A is another frictionless train B of mass Mb. A mass Mc hangs off the front of A and is attached to the front of B by rope and frictionless pulley. How fast should A accelerate so that B wont fall off the roof of A.


An ideal gas at a temperature of 22 C is trapped in a metal cylinder of volume 0.2 m^3 at a pressure of 1.6x10^6 Pa. The gas has a molar mass of 4.3 x 10^(-2) kg mol^(-1). Calculate the density of the gas in the cylinder.


A box initially at rest is on a plank, of length 5m, that is elevated at an angle such that tan(a)=3/4. When it reaches the end of the plank it has velocity 5ms^-1. Calculate the average frictional force on the box.


A ball is launched upwards at 30 degrees to horizontal with a velocity of 20 metres per second, how far does it travel before landing? (no air resistance)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning