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

  • Fubber Nuckin'@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    42
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    9 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@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      41
      ·
      9 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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        9 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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        9 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.

    • PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Energy can neither be created nor destroyed so in the grand scheme of things, everything is 100% energy efficient one way or another.

    • vynlwombat@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      I suggest we submit proposals to define “100%” and “efficient” before we design the experiment