On February 4, 2018 at 02:33, ErikU said...
I think the OP was asking a question about the correct use of terminology. I cringe when I hear electrical terms misused, so I suspect that was the point of the question..?
Amps are a measurement of current. (I)
Watts are a measurement of power. (P)
Volts are a measurement of potential, voltage, or electromotive force (E)
Ohms are a measurement of resistance (R)
A pet peeve of mine is hearing things like "how many amps is that", instead of "how much current does that draw". It sounds as awkward as asking someone "how many pounds are you" instead of asking "how much do you weigh".
Unless you are referring to a specific measurement (ie. that circuit is rated for 5 amps, or I weigh 200 lbs), you should refer to what it is you are trying to measure.
I think to the original question I would say that speakers are a consumer of watts, just like a light bulb. Unlike a light bulb though, that consumption is not static.
And if we really want to go in deep, I wouldn't say that just current could start a fire. High potential can arc. Combine those two into high power and you really have something dangerous!
How a question is worded can be due to their native language, too- many Eastern European languages consider one hair to be 'a hair', but more is considered 'hairs', which is the reason many older German-speaking people would say "I got my hairs cut".
They don't actually consume Watts- the Laws of Conservation of Energy states that Energy can neither be created, nor destroyed- it can only be converted to other forms of energy. It's also the reason speakers and amplifiers die- heat that can't leave the object before its destruction occurs.
Lots of people came into the stereo store where I worked and would ask questions about this, without understanding what they were dealing with, mainly because the stereo rags would make comments and list specs without explanation. "How many Watts does this have?", "How many Amps does this have?" and "What's the slew rate?" were common.
Might be more correct to say that "excessive current in a conductor can start a fire" and high voltage isn't needed if the available current is sufficient- who hasn't made lots of sparks and melted spots on a wrench when it contacted a car battery and something that was grounded to that battery?
Last edited by highfigh on February 4, 2018 10:00.
