Given a 10 A electric heater powered by a 120 V circuit, what is the maximum heat energy produced?

To determine the maximum heat energy produced by the electric heater, we first calculate the power consumed by the heater using the formula:

Power (W) = Voltage (V) × Current (A).

In this case, the voltage is 120 V and the current is 10 A:

Power = 120 V × 10 A = 1,200 W.

Next, to convert watts to British thermal units per hour (Btu/hr), we use the conversion factor where 1 watt is equivalent to approximately 3.412 Btu/hr. Therefore, we multiply the power in watts by this conversion factor:

Heat energy (Btu/hr) = Power (W) × Conversion factor.

Heat energy = 1,200 W × 3.412 Btu/hr/W ≈ 4,094.4 Btu/hr.

Rounding to the nearest whole number gives us approximately 4,095.6 Btu/hr, which corresponds to the choice provided. This calculation shows that the heat energy output of the electric heater at maximum capacity is indeed 4,095.6 Btu/hr.