What is the electrical term for the capacity to do work?

• A. Power
• B. Voltage
• C. Energy
• D. Current

Answer: (C)

The correct choice is energy because it is fundamentally defined as the capacity to do work in an electrical context as well as in physics overall. Energy is measured in joules and represents the ability to perform work or to cause a change. In electrical systems, energy is what allows devices to function — for instance, running an electric motor or lighting a bulb.

Power, on the other hand, refers to the rate at which energy is consumed or produced over time, measured in watts. Voltage is the potential difference that drives current through a circuit, which relates to the energy per charge but does not represent the capacity to perform work by itself. Current is the flow of electric charge through a conductor and is a measure of the movement of electrons. While all these terms are related to electricity and energy, energy specifically denotes the capacity to do work directly.