Per-unit system
When we want to measure things like electricity or water that come in different amounts or "units", it can be tough to compare them. To make it easier, we use a system called the "per-unit system".
Imagine you have two bowls of candies, one with 10 candies and one with 20. If you wanted to compare how many candies were in each bowl, you might say the 20-candy bowl has "2 units" of candy, because it's double the amount of the 10-candy bowl.
Now let's say we're measuring electricity instead of candy. We can't just say "this house used 100 kilowatts and this other house used 200 kilowatts" because 200 kilowatts is bigger than 100 kilowatts, but it's not twice as big.
Instead, we use a "per-unit" system to compare them. We pick a certain amount of energy, like 1 kilowatt, and then say how much each house used per 1 kilowatt. So if the first house used 100 kilowatts and the second used 200, we might say the first house used 0.5 units of electricity per kilowatt, and the second used 1 unit of electricity per kilowatt.
This way, we can compare how much energy different houses or buildings are using and see who is using more or less per unit of energy. It makes it easier for everyone to understand and compare, just like comparing the number of candies in different bowls.
Imagine you have two bowls of candies, one with 10 candies and one with 20. If you wanted to compare how many candies were in each bowl, you might say the 20-candy bowl has "2 units" of candy, because it's double the amount of the 10-candy bowl.
Now let's say we're measuring electricity instead of candy. We can't just say "this house used 100 kilowatts and this other house used 200 kilowatts" because 200 kilowatts is bigger than 100 kilowatts, but it's not twice as big.
Instead, we use a "per-unit" system to compare them. We pick a certain amount of energy, like 1 kilowatt, and then say how much each house used per 1 kilowatt. So if the first house used 100 kilowatts and the second used 200, we might say the first house used 0.5 units of electricity per kilowatt, and the second used 1 unit of electricity per kilowatt.
This way, we can compare how much energy different houses or buildings are using and see who is using more or less per unit of energy. It makes it easier for everyone to understand and compare, just like comparing the number of candies in different bowls.