an electric heater provides 2kW of power when connected to a 120 V potential difference. what is the current through the heater?

To find the current through the electric heater, you can use Ohm's law, which states that the current (I) is equal to the voltage (V) divided by the resistance (R) of the circuit.

In this case, we are given the power (P) of the heater, which is 2 kW (kW means kilowatts, which is equal to 1000 watts), and the potential difference (V) across the heater, which is 120 V.

We can find the resistance of the heater using the formula:

P = V^2 / R

Substituting the given values:

2 kW = (120 V)^2 / R

Now, we need to convert the power from kilowatts to watts:

2 kW = 2000 W

Rearrange the equation to solve for resistance (R):

R = (V^2 / P)

R = (120 V)^2 / 2000 W

R = 14400 V^2 / 2000 W

R = 7.2 Ω

Now that we have the resistance, we can find the current (I) using Ohm's law:

I = V / R

I = 120 V / 7.2 Ω

I ≈ 16.67 A

Therefore, the current through the electric heater is approximately 16.67 Amperes (A).