A power source is a source of power. Most commonly the type of power referred to is: *

Power (physics) In physics, power is the amount of energy transferred or converted per unit time. In the International System of Units, the unit of power is the watt, equal to one joule per second. In older works, power is sometimes called ''activity''. Power ...

, the rate of doing work; equivalent to an amount of energy consumed per unit time **

Electric power Electric power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with other SI units: thousands, millions and billions o ...

, the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit; usually produced by electric generators or batteries Power source may correspondingly refer to: * A source of

primary energy Primary energy (PE) is an energy form found in nature that has not been subjected to any human engineered conversion process. It is energy contained in raw fuels, and other forms of energy, including waste, received as input to a system. Pr ...

, an energy form found in nature that has not been subjected to any conversion or transformation process *

Energy carrier An energy carrier is a substance (fuel) or sometimes a phenomenon (energy system) that contains energy that can be later converted to other forms such as mechanical work or heat or to operate chemical or physical processes. Such carriers includ ...

, or secondary energy, a substance or phenomenon that contains energy that can be later converted to other forms such as mechanical work or heat or to operate chemical or physical processes **

Fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

, a material that stores potential energy in forms that can be practicably released and used for work ** See

Energy development Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...

for an overview of primary and secondary energy or power sources or, often more specifically to an electric power source: *The electric power industry * A source of

electrical energy Electrical energy is energy related to forces on electrically charged particles and the movement of electrically charged particles (often electrons in wires, but not always). This energy is supplied by the combination of electric current and electr ...

** Electric power system, a network of electrical components used to supply, transmit and use electric power ***

Electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For electric utility, utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its Electricity delivery, delivery (Electric power transmi ...

, the process of generating electric power from other sources of primary energy ***

Power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...

, an industrial facility for the generation of electric power ***

Electric generator In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) or fuel-based power (chemical energy) into electric power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, gas ...

, a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for use in an external circuit ***

Electric power transmission Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is ...

*** Electric power distribution *** Mains electricity or household power, the general-purpose alternating-current (AC) electric power supply *** AC power plugs and sockets, devices that allow electrically operated equipment to be connected to the primary alternating current (AC) power supply in a building **

Battery (electricity) An electric battery is a source of electric power consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices. When a battery is supplying power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negat ...

, a device consisting of one or more

electrochemical cells An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either generating electrical energy from chemical reactions or using electrical energy to cause chemical reactions. The electrochemical cells which generate an electric current are called voltaic o ...

that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy Some conversion devices are sometimes called a "power source": *

Engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

, a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion *

Power supply A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage, current, and frequency to power the load. As a r ...

, an electrical device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load, by converting one form of electrical energy to another

As a proper name

PowerSource may also refer to: *

PowerSource (phone brand) PowerSource, or "hybrid" phones, are specialized cellular devices used by customers of the American telecommunications company Sprint-Nextel. They are distinct from other mobile phones in that they make use of two cellular networks instead of a si ...

, mobile phone that can make use of both Sprint-Nextel cellular networks * PowerSource (musical group), a Christian music group of the 1980s * ''PowerSource'', a weekly print section, and a companion website of the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'', highlighting the Pittsburgh region’s diverse energy industry

As a proper name

See also