Watt Watt The watt (symbol: W) is a unit of power. In the International System of Units (SI) it is defined as a derived unit of 1 joule per second, and is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. When an object's velocity is held constant at one meter per second against a constant opposing force of one newton, the rate at which work is done is 1 watt. In terms of electromagnetism, one watt is the rate at which electrical work is performed when a current of one ampere (A) flows across an electrical potential difference of one volt
History of the metric system the Treaty of the Metre was extended to cover electrical units with the CGPM merging its work with that of the IEC. The twentieth century history of measurement is marked by five periods: the 1901 definition of the coherent MKS system; the intervening 50 years of coexistence of the MKS, cgs and common systems of measures; the 1948 "Practical system of units" prototype of the SI; the introduction of the SI in 1960; and the evolution of the SI in the latter half century. The need for an orthogonal electromagnetic unit to resolve the difficulties of defining such units in