Heating element
part · 1890 · Electric age
A high-resistance conductor that turns current into heat.
Principles and materials it uses
- Nichrome — is made of. The coil is made of nichrome: it has high resistance and does not oxidize when hot.
- Joule heating — uses. Current passing through the coil releases heat according to Joule’s law.
Where it is used
- Toaster — is part of. Red-hot coils toast the bread.
- Electric kettle — is part of. A heating element in the base heats the water.
- Electric stove — is part of. Hotplates.
- Washing machine — is part of. A heating element.
- Dishwasher — is part of. Heating the water.
- Hair dryer — is part of. A heater.
- Electric iron — is part of. A heater.
- Espresso machine — is part of. A heater.
- Water heater — is part of. A heating element.
- Air fryer — is part of. A heater.
- Incubator — is part of. A heater.
- Soldering iron — is part of. A heater.
- Bread machine — is part of. A heater.
- Rice cooker — is part of. A heater.
- Coffee vending machine — is part of. A heater.
- Tumble dryer — is part of. A heater.
- Multicooker — is part of. A heating element heats it.
- Convection oven — is part of. Heaters.
What it is a kind of
- Resistor — is a kind of. A heater is a resistor designed to release heat.
Things built in a similar way
- Incandescent light bulb — works like. A lamp and a heater use the same effect — a conductor heated by current; they differ in purpose, light or heat.