On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:11:57 +0100, Orchid XP v3 wrote:

> I haven't tested out the TV yet, but of all the stuff I have tested, it
> seems that any device that performs any kind of *heating* instantly uses
> many times more power than anything else. I emphasize: MANY TIMES more
> power. Not 20% more, not 50% more, but nearer to 1000% more! Heck, even
> the vacuum cleaner (surely a high power device) in fact uses a fraction
> of the power that the toaster does!
> 
> Can anybody suggest why this might be? I mean, huge powerful electric
> motors use a fair bit of power, but it's almost insignificant compared
> to heating devices. Why does heating things require so much power?

Heat is generated through increased electrical resistance; in order to 
heat a heating element up, you need to push more electricity through it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_element is a good starting point.

Jim

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