What is the term for a device that converts electrical energy into work?

• A. Load
• B. Source
• C. Capacitor
• D. Inductor

Answer: (A)

In a circuit, energy flows from a source to a load, and the load is the element that uses that electrical energy to do work. The term load is used because its job is to consume power and transform it into other forms such as light, heat, or motion. Capacitors and inductors, by contrast, store energy temporarily in electric or magnetic fields rather than continuously converting it into work. A source provides energy to the circuit but doesn’t perform the conversion into work itself. So the device that converts electrical energy into work is the load.