A device that uses electricity to perform useful work is known as what?

A device that uses electricity to perform useful work is indeed referred to as a load. In electrical engineering, a load is any component or device that consumes electric power to perform a task, such as lighting, heating, or running motors and appliances. The term encompasses any piece of equipment that converts electrical energy into other forms of energy, thereby performing some useful function.

A generator, on the other hand, converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, which does not fit the definition of using electricity to perform work. A transformer is used to change the voltage level of alternating current (AC) and does not consume electrical energy in a way that performs useful work. An inverter transforms direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC), but like the other devices, it also does not directly represent what is described as doing work with electricity.

Consequently, when considering which choice accurately describes a device that uses electrical power for a task, load is the appropriate term.