Hello - I've got a basic conceptual question. I have a hard time wrapping my head around using watts as a measure for work - moving a weight a given distance - and as a measure for dissipating heat and light. I can't use my light bulb to move my toy car, so how can I say it is rated at 100 watts? Or that a resistor can be rated to survive producing 0.25 watts of waste heat? I certainly understand the idea of wasted work, but how are waste heat and waste work the same? Do I have to just buy into it?
<Background: I'm an artist and art educator who used to work at an electrical supply store. I've got it into my head to learn some electronics to make some little machines. I'm a big fan of Arthur Ganson from MIT, who can be googled to great effect.>
<Background: I'm an artist and art educator who used to work at an electrical supply store. I've got it into my head to learn some electronics to make some little machines. I'm a big fan of Arthur Ganson from MIT, who can be googled to great effect.>