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Energy Efficiency

Key Stage 4

Meaning

Energy efficiency is a ratio of Useful Energy transferred to total energy put into a system.

About Efficiency

Energy efficiency is a measure of how effectively energy is transferred from one energy store into an intended energy store.
Efficiency may be written as a percentage or as a decimal.
Efficiency as a percentage can never be greater than 100% and as a decimal can never be greater than 1 because you can never get more energy out than you put in due to Conservation of Energy.

Equation

Efficiency = (Useful Energy Out)/(Total Energy In)

\(Efficiency = \frac{E_{Useful}}{E_{Total}}\)

Where:

EUseful = The Useful Energy transferred to a device's intended purpose.

ETotal = The Total Energy transferred to a system.

References

AQA

Energy efficiency, pages 16-19, 21, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA

Edexcel

Energy efficiency, pages 318-319, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
Energy efficiency, pages 36-37, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel