On February 4, 2018 at 22:42, Dean Roddey said...
Anyway, probably no clearer than anyone else, but I can never resist the challenge to be less understood than my fellow man.
And, as proof, he's done it:
The speaker acts as the same sort of resistance to the amp trying to push electrons through it....you'd probably blow up the amp or trip a fuse in it, because there would be no resistance to the electron flow... That's also why amps have limits on how low the ohms (resistance) on the speakers can be.
In all of those cases Dean means amplifer, not Ampere.
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..?
I cringe when I read sentences like that. You say that because you cringe when you hear electrical terms misused, you suspect the misuse of electrical terms was the point of the question.
Why, indeed how in the world, would your attitude about misuse of words influence 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)
So, speaking of using terms correctly, this list seems to be a list of similar things, but watts are in a totally different category from the other units.
The units discussed here are all instantaneous quantities except for power, which is energy expended over a period of time. Because of that, power isn't the same kind of unit. The correct term that you want is Watt-hours, a measurement of energy. But that's kinda complicated.As for which word to use, current is measured in amps, power is measured in watts, EMF is measured in volts, resistance is measured in ohms... what determines that you should use one of those terms but not the other? Is "the current is five amps" somehow incorrect because it doesn't just use the term "current"?
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".
"How many ohms is that resistor?" gets the question asked with fewer words. Beside that, the answer will be given in ohms, so it's not in any way incorrect to ask the question using the term ohms.
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.
When I measure the voltage, I want an answer in volts. So how do I refer to voltage (a general term with no assignable number) (that is, you wouldn't say "its voltage is 200") without naming volts?
You ARE talking about a pet peeve, though, and pet peeves often are based on tiny little judgments that aren't important to most of the rest of us.
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.
Speakers and light bulbs don't consume watts. Speakers and light bulbs convert some small percentage of the supplied energy to two or three other forms of energy (or power; do you want to argue about that?). Speakers convert electrical energy to sound and heat energy. Light bulbs convert electrical energy to light, heat, and sometimes sound energy (ever had a buzzing bulb?).
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!
I was suggesting that a person of the knowledge level suggested by the question should not be bludgeoned with any information about how fires can be started without first clearing up the actual issues he's asking about.
