What is the term for the rate at which electricity is converted into another usable form, like heat?

The rate at which electricity is converted into another usable form, such as heat, is referred to as power. Power is a measure of how quickly energy is being used or converted from one form to another and is typically expressed in watts (W). In the context of electrical systems, power represents the rate at which electrical energy is transformed to perform work, whether that is generating heat in a resistive element, doing mechanical work in a motor, or producing light in a bulb.

Voltage, in contrast, refers to the electric potential difference between two points and indicates the force that drives the current through a circuit. Resistance measures how much a material opposes the flow of electric current, impacting how much current flows for a given voltage. Energy, while related to power, pertains to the total amount of work done or heat produced over time, typically measured in joules. Thus, while energy is the total quantity, power is specifically the rate of energy conversion, making it the correct term in this context.