Electric heating is any process in which
electrical energy is converted to
heat. Common applications include
space heating,
cooking,
water heating and industrial processes. An
electric heater is an
electrical device that converts electric current to heat. The
heating element inside every electric heater is an electrical
resistor, and works on the principle of
Joule heating: an
electric current passing through a resistor will convert that electrical energy into heat energy. Most modern electric heating devices use
nichrome wire as the active element; the heating element, depicted on the right, uses nichrome wire supported by ceramic insulators.