How can you tell they’ve got it: Power: watts and energy per second?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: States the definition of power and gives its unit (watt); Uses P = E/t to calculate power, energy, or time given the other two quantities; Compares the power ratings of common appliances and explains what the rating means; Explains why a higher-powered device does the same job faster but uses more energy. Or just try it together: If your child was comparing a 100 W light bulb with a 10 W LED, could they explain what those numbers mean and calculate how much energy each uses in an hour?

Science Energy Ages 12–13

Power: watts and energy per second

Your child knows power is how fast energy is used, measured in watts. A 100-watt bulb uses ten times more each second than a 10-watt one, doing the job faster.

In curriculum terms

Define power as the rate of energy transfer (power = energy ÷ time, measured in watts), and compare energy transfer rates in different everyday contexts

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

States the definition of power and gives its unit (watt)
Uses P = E/t to calculate power, energy, or time given the other two quantities
Compares the power ratings of common appliances and explains what the rating means
Explains why a higher-powered device does the same job faster but uses more energy

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

If your child was comparing a 100 W light bulb with a 10 W LED, could they explain what those numbers mean and calculate how much energy each uses in an hour?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Energy can't be created or destroyedages 11–12Power is the rate of energy transfer — the concept of energy stores and conservation must be understood before rates can be discussed

Power: watts and energy per secondthis skill · ages 12–13

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

This skill sits beyond Year 6 in the Australian Curriculum, so no F–6 code is matched. It also sits beyond the NSW K–6 syllabuses. It also sits beyond Level 6 in the Victorian Curriculum.

Nearby on the map

Conduction, convection, and radiationages 12–13 Efficiency, Sankey diagrams, and work doneages 12–13 Heating experiments and Q = mcΔTages 12–13 Ohm's Law: voltage, current, resistanceages 12–13

All Energy skills →