Why do they use 110 volt power in united states and 220 volts in India?
Answer:
Its simply what became the standard as electricity developed. India and some other countries adopting the British standard of 240v due to the large influence Britain had at this time. Other countries adopting different voltages. Many parts of Europe used to have 120 volts until more recently they agreed to a European standard of 220 volts. The UK also agreeing to move to the new Europe standard of 220v from the 240v standard at the time but many power companies claiming an immediate change impossible as many transformers don't have the taps and have to be changed out.
The voltage levels were often dictated by the generator manufacturers that sold generators to the early power companies, the voltages supplied by the companies that gained the biggest market share becoming the standard. In the US this being Westinghouse. Edison light company being the main competitor but their dc voltage was poor for distribution.
We use both in the US. We use 220V for washers, welders, large window air conditioners, some hot water heaters..ect.
The voltage used is usually the lowest that you can get enough power out of to run your application. You want lower voltage because it is safer, however you cant use it for high power items because of the incredible amount of amperage it would require to do so. The US does use 220V for a lot of high draw items, like electric ovens and dryers.
India probably considers 220V safe enough for normal use, where as the US would like to call it, a bit too dangerous. Its really just a matter of opinion.
Most European countries use 220VAC @ 50 cycles, the USA uses 220VAC @ 60 cycles, but typically splits the service and uses 220V for larger appliances and 110V for smaller appliances. More information in the link below, but the basics are:
"The system of three-phase alternating current electrical generation and distribution was invented by a nineteenth century creative genius named Nicola Tesla. He made many careful calculations and measurements and found out that 60 Hz (Hertz, cycles per second) was the best frequency for alternating current (AC) power generating...
When the German company AEG built the first European generating facility, its engineers decided to fix the frequency at 50 Hz, because the number 60 didn't fit the metric standard unit sequence (1,2,5)...
50 Hz 20% less effective in generation, it is 10-15% less efficient in transmission, it requires up to 30% larger windings and magnetic core materials in transformer construction. Electric motors are much less efficient at the lower frequency, and must also be made more robust to handle the electrical losses and the extra heat generated."
So, the USA standard is more efficient in terms of generation, transmission and utilization!
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