The fact of using one or the other voltage (between the options of 110V or 220V) It is a decision that comes from behind. As is the case with the implementation of the steering wheel on the left or right side of the vehiclein this aspect it has to do with the decision of the people behind the implementation of electricity.
That there are countries with one voltage or another depends, thus, on the decision that was taken at that time, in the nineteenth century, which we will discuss later. To a greater extent, the world can be divided into two halves: part of the American continent, with exceptions, employs a power ranging from 110V to 120Vwhile much of Europe, Asia and Africa opt for 220V to 240V.
First of all, it should be understood that in the flow of electricity in a circuit Two agents are involved: voltage and current.. “Voltage is measured in volts and current is in amps. The two are very different,” Morris Lockwood, Edif’s technical manager, explains to BBC. To illustrate, represent the voltage as pressure with which water flows through a pipewhile assigning to the current the “rate of flow of water (the amount circulating through the pipe). Both are needed to transmit energy.”
Volts (pressure), multiplied by amps (flow) equals power (watts). In other words, with a higher voltage (220V) a thinner hose would be needed, since not so much current is needed. In this way, the cables would be thinner, more manageable and cheaper. Otherwise, with the 110V ones, more current would be needed (thicker and more expensive cables).
Advantages of one or the other
To put this example into practice, take as a reference the numbers that we can find on the light bulbs, which indicate the energy they consume. A 60 watt light bulb will require, in a country with a voltage of 110V, about 0.54 amps of current. However, in those countries with a current of 220V it will be half (0.27 amps).
A difference in current that, however, it has nothing to do with final electricity consumption: what makes this vary, in this case, is the chosen bulb. “The main advantage of using a 220 voltage is that the wiring is simpler, more manoeuvrable, cheaper material“, explains the electrical engineer Miguel Lara to the BBC. However, the great disadvantage of 220V is precisely its power. “There are very dangerous voltages. The 240 is already dangerous enough. I do not recommend a rush of those“.
‘War of the Currents’
The origin of all this history is in what is known as ‘war of currents’ between Thomas Alba Edison and Nikolai Tesla. The introduction of the first power transmission systems, end of the 19th century, led them to ‘confront’ each other over their different ways of thinking. The first advocated direct current (DC)with a power of 100V and with difficulty to convert to other voltages.
The second defended the use of alternating current (AC): could be easily modifiedwhich would also reduce costs and transport it over great distances. The biggest problem, according to his rival Edison, was his dangerousness. In order to refute this, Tesla circulated alternating current of millions of volts in the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.
In this way he proved that It was not dangerous, although according to BBC it might have helped that he was wearing rubber shoes. Be that as it may, Westinghouse Corporation, the company Tesla worked for, took over the adoption of this system throughout the world. But why are there countries that do not have it? For that moment already Millions of light bulbs had been sold that worked at 100V (later 110V) from Edison, so they were not changed, although they were adapted to alternating current.