Power can be associated with strength.
When defining the term at hand, the first thing we have to do is determine its etymological origin. Specifically, to find it we have to go to Latin because that is where it resides, more specifically it is located in the word potentĭa .
Power is the amount of work done per unit of time . It can be associated with the speed of an energy change within a system, or the time it takes to complete a job. Therefore, it is possible to state that power is equal to total energy divided by time.
It can be indicated that potency is strength , power or the ability to achieve something. For example: "Batistuta was a forward with a lot of power who always scored goals" , "The new album by the Swedish band shows the power of their new drummer" , "I think that if he hit the ball with more power, he would have gotten another point" .
A world power
In this sense, it is worth highlighting that on many occasions, and especially within History, certain nations or countries are spoken of as world powers . With this expression what is meant is that those in question were or are very powerful and stand out for the notable influence they exert on the rest of the planet.
In this way, a phrase that could explain this is the following: "The United States is a world power at this moment but in the past there have been others much more powerful than it, such as Germany, France or Spain."
A meaning that we are determining that also leads us to record an expression that exists in this political and historical field. We are referring to "from power to power." With this adverbial phrase what is intended to be expressed is that two states or countries have been treated as equals, that is, without one establishing itself as superior or above the other.
The country that manages to gather great power is mentioned as a power.
The concept in mechanics, electricity and sound
The work performed by an individual or a machine in a certain period of time is known as mechanical power . That is to say, it is the power that is transmitted through the action of a physical contact force or some related mechanical elements, such as a gear or a set of levers.
Another type of power that can be mentioned is electrical power , which is the result of multiplying the potential difference between the ends of a load and the current that circulates there.
We can also refer to the power of sound , which is calculated based on the intensity and surface area, and the power of a point .
Power units
Regarding power units, four major systems can be recognized. The international system of units, whose most frequent unit is the watt or watt and its multiples (kilowatt, megawatt, etc.), although it can also use equivalent combinations such as the voltampere ; the English system, which measures by metric horsepower ; the technical units, which are based on the international calorie per second ; and the cegesimal, which calculates erg per second .
Likewise, we cannot forget that in the field of Mathematics the use of the term power is frequent and it is that with it it comes to define an operation through which the result of a number in question being multiplied by itself in several occasions.