Month: June 2019

4 Reasons why the PlayStation 4 is better than the PC for Gaming.

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Slim PS4

Cost:

With at least $300 you get the most advanced gaming console; the PlayStation 4 (PS4). To build a personal computer (PC) that would match or better the PS4, you will spend at least 3 times the price.

Plug & Play:

The PS4 is a computer built and optimized for gaming . Just insert your game CD or download the digital version and play without having to do any hardware or software upgrade. Even with a more powerful PC, you can’t be 100% certain you can play all game titles without the hassles of an upgrade.

Portability:

The slim PS4 console is very easy to fit in a small bag and carry around as compared to desktop gaming PCs .

Maintenance:

The only major maintenance you will need for your PS4 is to keep away from moisture and protect from power surges. However in addition with a PC, you will regularly have to rid the  system of junk files, virus checks and removal if you want your installed games to continue running smoothly.

I personally won’t recommend playing high ended games on laptops as most of them are not  fully optimized for that, except a gaming laptop which is expensive with a cost of 3 to 4 times that of the PS4.

Playing high ended games on un-optimized laptops will reduce their life span as a result of excessive overheating. If you are a PC game fanatic, better build a desktop PC to suit your gaming needs as they are much cheaper.

Understanding Power Ratings of Electrical Appliances.

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Every household electrical appliance, always have its power rating labelled on it. Power rating is very important as it gives information regarding its power consumption.

Knowing the power consumption rating of your electrical appliance will help understand and analyze your electrical bills. It will also help when you have to determine the capacity of generator or inverter you will need to power up your appliances.

There are two important information to look out for in a power rating label;

  1. Voltage rating  (v)
  2. Power rating   (w)

You should always check the voltage rating of any appliance you buy, this is necessary to make sure it is not different from the voltage rating supplied to your home.

Since electrical bills are determined by power consumption you should always check power ratings of your electrical appliances to have good idea of how much you would be paying for electricity by the end of the month.

Power consumption on electricity bills is usually measured in kilowatt hour (kwh).

For example, an electric fan with a power rating of 50w will consume 50w in one hour or 50/1000 kwh = 0.05kwh.

An electric cooker with power rating of 2500w and used for 2 hours everyday will consume 2500 x 2 = 5000w in 2 hours or 5kwh. (Note: 1kw = 1000w). Doing this every day for the month you consume 5 x 30 = 150 kwh! Just for using the electric cooker!..

Total power consumption of all active electrical appliance in your house is added up by your electric meter. You pay for total electrical power (kwh) consumed every month.

It is very important to switch off electrical appliance when not in use to save cost of electricity bills.

Properties and uses of Timber

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Timber

Timber is wood used for building/construction works. Timber means ‘to build’. A felled tree is first cut into sizes of suitable lengths called rough timber that are transported to timber yard. By sawing rough timber, it is converted into various commercial sizes like planks, battens, posts, beams etc. Such form of timber is known as converted timber.

Properties of timber suitable for building construction.

  • Should be uniform in colour.
  • Should have pleasant  odour when freshly cut.
  • Clear ringing sound when struck indicates the timber is good.
  • Good timber should have good texture
  • The timber should be of high density
  • Timbers should be strong and durable.
  • Good timber do not warp under changing environmental conditions.
  • Timber should be capable of resisting shock loads.
  • Good timber do not deteriorate due to wear. This property should be looked into, if Timber is to be used for flooring.
  • Timber should have high strength in bending, shear and direct compression.
  • Timber should have high modulus of elasticity.
  • Good fire resistance.
  • Low water permeability.
  • Good workability, should not clog the saw.
  • Capable of resisting the action of fungi and insects attack.
  • Timber should be free from defects like dead knots, shakes and cracks.

How timber Can be Preserved

Timber is preserved by protection from fungi and insects attack. Timber should be well seasoned before preservatives are applied. The following are the widely used preservatives:

Tar: Hot coal tar is applied to timber with brush. Tar coating protects the timber from attack of insects and fungi.

Paints: Paint improves the appearance of the timber. Solignum paint is a special paint which protects the timber from the attack of termites.

Chemical salt: These are the preservatives made by dissolving salts in water. The salts used are copper sulphate, masonry chloride, zinc chloride and sodium fluoride.

Creosote: Creosote oil is obtained by distillation of coal tar.

Uses of Timber in construction

  •  Construction of columns, trusses, piles.
  •  Making of doors, windows, flooring and roofing.
  • Construction of railway sleepers, fencing poles, electric poles and gates.
  •  For temporary works such as scaffolding, centering, shoring and strutting, packing of materials.

DIRECT CURRENT AND ALTERNATING CURRENT

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Direct current (DC)

The Direct current (DC) is simply electric current that flows in one direction. It usually flows from a battery source. It also means electric current with one polarity of current or voltage.

Uses of DC

DC is often used to power low voltage appliances such as flashlights, toothbrushes, calculators, telephones and so on, although it can also power high voltage appliances.

Sources of Direct Current Supply

 Common sources of DC supply includes solar cells, batteries and DC generator.

Drawback of Direct current (DC)

The major drawback of Direct current (DC) is that it cannot be transmitted through long distances without considerable power loss. The power plant or source of direct current (DC) supply must be within 3km of the appliance which implies that direct current power plant/supply must be installed in every household.

Alternating Current (AC)

 Alternating current rapidly changes in direction. AC is transferred at very high voltage (kilovolts) over long distances and then stepped down with a transformer to between 100-240 volts at point of use.  

Uses of AC

AC is often used to power appliances that require higher voltages examples include fans, air conditioners, cookers, tvs ,  water heaters, pressing irons and so on

Advantage of Alternating Current

The major advantage of AC is that it can travel hundred to thousands of kilometers without considerable power loss making it possible for the location of central alternating power supply stations far from point of use.

Comparing Alternating to Direct Current

It can be argued that AC holds no practical advantage over DC. As stated earlier, DC is preferred over AC for low voltage appliances while AC is preferred to DC for high voltage appliances. However it is possible to build power supply/distribution systems that are more efficient with AC than DC and this is one reason why the AC is far more popular.