Two heaters are plugged into the same 120-V AC outlet.If one heater is rated at 1100 W,then what can be the maximum rating of the second heater in order not to exceed the 20 A trip rating on the circuit?
A)1100 W
B)1300 W
C)1200 W
D)2400 W
E)920 W

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The maximum current that can be drawn from the 120-V outlet is 20A. Therefore, the total power that can be drawn from the outlet is P = VI = 120Vx20A = 2400W. If we assume that the first heater is operating at its maximum rating of 1100W, then the maximum rating of the second heater can be found by subtracting the power consumed by the first heater from the total power available, i.e., 2400W - 1100W = 1300W. Therefore, the maximum rating of the second heater should be 1300W or less to avoid tripping the circuit.

Two Heaters Are Plugged into the Same 120-V AC Outlet