Power, Energy & Heat#

Where theory gets physical. Power calculations are straightforward on paper, but the real world adds thermal limits, time constants, and failure modes that don’t show up in the math until someone goes looking for them.

What This Section Covers#

• Power Basics — Instantaneous vs. average, DC vs. AC, resistive vs. reactive power.
• Energy Over Time — Joules vs. watts, caps and inductors as energy storage, time constants.
• Thermal Reality — Dissipation ratings, derating, and why quiet thermal failures happen before spectacular ones.