How many 500-watt lights can be put on a 20-amp circuit?

To determine how many 500-watt lights can be connected to a 20-amp circuit, it's important to understand the relationship between watts, amps, and volts in electrical systems. The formula used to calculate electrical power is:

Power (watts) = Voltage (volts) × Current (amps)

In most residential settings, the standard voltage is 120 volts. Using this information, we can use the formula to find out the maximum wattage that a 20-amp circuit can handle:

Maximum Power = 120 volts × 20 amps = 2400 watts

Now, if each light consumes 500 watts, we divide the total wattage capacity of the circuit by the wattage of each light:

2400 watts / 500 watts per light = 4.8 lights

Since you cannot have a fraction of a light, you would typically round down to the nearest whole number, resulting in the maximum number of 4 lights.

However, a key factor to consider is the 80% rule, which recommends that circuits should not be loaded beyond 80% of their maximum capacity for continuous loads. Applying this:

2400 watts × 0.8 = 1920 watts

Now, calculating for the lights