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Watt second


A watt second (also watt-second, symbol W s or W·s) is a derived unit of energy equivalent to the joule. The watt-second is the energy equivalent to the power of one watt sustained for one second. While the watt-second is equivalent to the joule in both units and meaning, there are some contexts in which the term "watt-second" is used instead of "joule".

The kilowatt hour (kWh) is equivalent to 3,600,000 watt-seconds and is a unit used in the electricity market, and by producers of electricity.

Although joule and watt-second mean exactly the same thing (they represent the same amount of the same physical quantity, viz. energy), the newton metre is not equivalent to the joule (despite having the same dimensions) as it represents torque rather than energy. (In terms of vectors, torque is a cross product of force and distance, and energy is their dot product.)

In photography, the unit for flashes is the watt-second. A flash can be rated in watt-seconds (e.g. 300 Ws) or in joules (different names for the same thing), but historically the term "watt-second" has been used and continues to be used. An on-camera flash, using a 1000 microfarad capacitor at 300 volts, would be 45 watt-seconds. Studio flashes, using larger capacitors and higher voltages, are in the 200 - 2000 watt-second range.


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