Power

Power, in physics, the time rate at which work is done. The amount of power that is put forth determines the amount of work that can be done per unit time. Power can be calculated with the following formula:

In this formula, P stands for power, W for work, and t for time. Work is measured by multiplying the force times the distance. The formula for power is then written:

In this formula, F stands for force and d stands for distance.

The basic unit of power in the English system of measurement is, foot-pounds per second. When a force of 1 pound moves an object 1 foot, 1 foot-pound of work is done. In the metric system, the customary unit of power is the watt. A watt is the power needed to do 1 joule of work per second.