kilowatt
part of speech
noun (a kilowatt, kilowatts; kW)
meaning for a pupil
1) (science) A unit of power equal to 1,000 watts, written kW. tree →
2) It measures how fast an electrical machine uses or makes energy. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and maths lessons pupils convert units (1 kW = 1,000 W) and work out energy use; electricity bills charge for kilowatt-hours (kWh): using 1 kilowatt for 1 hour. Kettles, heaters and car engines are rated in kilowatts. Phrases: kilowatt-hour (kWh), a 2-kilowatt heater.
examples
- A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. tree →
- Our kettle uses 3 kilowatts of power. tree →
- Electricity is sold in kilowatt-hours. tree →
- The solar panels on our roof make about 4 kilowatts on a sunny day. tree →
- 2.5 kilowatts is the same as 2,500 watts. tree →
- The electric car's motor is rated at 150 kilowatts. tree →
- A 1-kilowatt heater on for 3 hours uses 3 kilowatt-hours. tree →
note
Countable. Symbol: kW (small k, capital W). Trap: a kilowatt (kW) is power (how fast); a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is energy (how much). In maths problems: multiply kW by hours to get kWh; multiply by 1,000 to get watts.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «kilowatt» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.