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If a machine is never 100% efficient transforming energy into work because part of the energy is converted into heat, does it mean an electric heater is 100% efficient? @showerthoughts@lemmy.world

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[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 174 points 6 months ago

You know how you turn on an electric heater and the filament begins to glow? That is energy being converted to light, so not 100% efficient.

[-] xigoi 48 points 6 months ago

Doesn’t the light turn into heat anyway as soon as it’s absorbed?

[-] fubbernuckin@lemmy.world 42 points 6 months ago

I mean if you want to go that route, we could just say that every speaker, light source, motor, etc is 100% efficient at generating heat because all of its energy output will eventually become heat.

[-] xigoi 42 points 6 months ago

That is also completely true, but meaningless because heat generation is not the purpose of these devices. However, if you use them in a building heated by a thermostat-controlled electric heater, you’re effectivhly running them for free.

[-] Xatix@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

I‘m was using two old servers with folding@home running as space heaters in the winter. I got them for dirt cheap and thought if I convert electricity into heat, I might as well do something good with it. Also nice opportunity to run a minecraft server for the kids during that time.

[-] Xatix@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I‘m was using two old servers with folding@home running as space heaters in the winter. I got them for dirt cheap and thought if I convert electricity into heat, I might as well do something good with it. Also nice opportunity to run a minecraft server for the kids during that time.

[-] entropicdrift 4 points 6 months ago

You double-posted this comment, FYI

[-] Techranger@infosec.pub 8 points 6 months ago

One for each server.

[-] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 7 points 6 months ago

It's still efficient because both those comments will end up as heat anyway.

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this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
247 points (97.3% liked)

Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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