When we talk about energy and power in physics, two important ideas are Joules and Watts.

Joules are a way to measure energy. Energy is what lets us do work. For example, if you lift a book off the ground, you’re using Joules.

Let’s say you have a book that weighs 1 kilogram. If you lift it up by 1 meter, you use about 9.8 Joules of energy. This is because of something called gravitational potential energy.

Now, let’s talk about Watts. Watts measure power. Power is how fast we use or create energy. In simple terms, it shows us how quickly we’re doing work. One Watt is equal to one Joule used every second. So, if you lift that same book and it takes you 2 seconds, you’re using energy at a rate of 4.9 Watts.

Key Points to Remember:

• Joules (J): This is a unit for energy. It tells us how much work we do.
• Watts (W): This is a unit for power. It tells us how fast we are using energy.

Example:

• When you lift a 1 kg book by 1 meter, you use about 9.8 Joules of energy.
• If you lift it in 2 seconds, you’re using power at 4.9 Watts.

In short, Joules show us how much energy we use, while Watts tell us how quickly we’re using that energy. Knowing the difference between the two is really important to understand energy and work!