Say I have a lamp and there's no lightbulb in the lamp, but the switch is flipped on, is electricity still used?
2007-01-15 11:14:51 · 7 answers · asked by tsolworldwar3 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
No, there is no circuit, there is no current - so there is no energy used or work done as far as the light bulb or socket -
- BUT -
there is a small bit of energy radiated from the wires in the form of EM waves, like an antenna because the world is like a big capacitor to any AC circuit and some power is dissipated.
2007-01-15 12:14:35 · answer #1 · answered by themountainviewguy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need the lightbulb to complete the circuit - if the circuit isn't complete no electricity will flow through it.
The folks saying yes are a good reason why the answers you get here should never be trusted without an explanation that makes sense to you.
2007-01-15 19:40:23 · answer #2 · answered by Ianae 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No offense is intended toward anyone here. ;-) The "no" answers are on the right track, probably. Electricity is an "exact" science, so let's get the wording correct. We don't refer to electricity as being "used". You probably want to know if there is an electric current. The answer to that is no. There is no closed circuit and therefore no potential difference necessary to cause a current to flow. There is no power being dissipated and no voltage drop across the socket.
2007-01-15 20:18:53 · answer #3 · answered by adolfoknows 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm more fascinated with the folks here that say, "yes", to this question, even when there isn't even a closed electrical circuit! How does the electricity even flow?
2007-01-15 19:32:35 · answer #4 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no , cuz the circuit is broken. Any where in the path of the electricity if the circuit if broken no electricity can travel, hence no use.
2007-01-15 19:20:39 · answer #5 · answered by Big C 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2007-01-15 19:19:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes it is
2007-01-15 19:25:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋