Question

Could some one help me with a science problem? How does the heating element of a portable electric heater work?

Answer 1

Will fan and medal!!

Answer 2

This is just off the top of my head, but I believe it runs a current through a metal with a high resistance to current. When a metal has low conductivity, running a current through it heats it up and produces light. Someone else can probs check this (I'm in chem class rn).

Answer 3

Electric current, as in the movement of electrons in the heating element bangs into the specially designed resistance wire, and gives rise to what's called I square R heating power.The heating element is "resistance wire", which probably sounds about as weird as a lot of my posts. Yes, the element conducts electricity - it's NOT an INSULATOR. But, it's made to have SOME controllable resistance, so it's not a SHORT CIRCUIT. If you ever find ordinary copper connecting wire getting WARM then I think that would show a problem in the circuit. At t'other extreme (ie COLD COLD COLD) there is SUPERCONDUCTING wire. This apparently has "no measurable resistance" (providing you can KEEP it cold). So, if kept SC then it doesn't generate any I squared R heating. Bloke who discovered this got a Nobel, and could have been from europe - Kammerlingh Onnes (Dutch ?)
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Answer 4

... I think that's what I said (though admittedly not in as many words). @osprey

Answer 5

There is a wire or a thin metal strip connected to the on/off and thermostat. When the device is ON a current flows through this 'wire' causing it to heat. You can often look in and see the hot wire. It glows a reddish orange color and it will stay on until the temperature of the thermostat is reached, then it shuts off the current to this wire and also turns OFF the device.

In a toaster when the temperature of the thermostat is reached the current is shut OFF and the toaster :pops-up: the toast, and it's ready to go!

Answer 6

can anyone help me please.