Electrical power is measured in watts (W) and is calculated by multiplying the voltage (V) applied to a circuit by the resulting current (I) that flows in the circuit: P = IV. In addition to measuring production capacity, power also measures the rate of energy consumption and many loads are rated for their consumption capacity. For example, a 60W lightbulb utilizes 60W of energy to produce the equivalent of 60W of heat and light energy.

A diode allows current to pass easily in one direction and blocks current in the other direction. Diodes are commonly used for rectification which is the conversion of alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Because a diode only allows current flow in one direction, it will pass either the upper or lower half of AC waves (half-wave rectification) creating pulsating DC. Multiple diodes can be connected together to utilize both halves of the AC signal in full-wave rectification.

Current is the rate of flow of electrons per unit time and is measured in amperes (A). A coulomb (C) is the quantity of electricity conveyed in one second by a current of one ampere.

All conductors have resistance and the amount of resistance varies with the element. Metals exhibit increased resistance (and, therefore, lower conductivity) as their temperature increases.

Connecting the 6 batteries in series multiplies their voltage while keeping their current the same yielding a 54V 15A configuration. Connecting the 6 batteries in parallel multiplies their current while keeping their voltage the same yielding a 9V 90A configuration. Using a series-parallel connection, 3 batteries can be connected in series and 3 can be connected in parallel resulting in a 27V 45A configuration.