Electrical Engineering › Section L · Power (ac) and resonance › Topic L.2

The power triangle and total P, Q, and S

Real, reactive and apparent power fit together as the sides of a right triangle. Draw it once and you can total the power of a whole building, find its power factor and work out the supply current without solving the circuit.

In this topic

  • Three powers on one diagram
  • Reading the triangle
  • Where the triangle comes from
  • Complex power from phasors
  • Worked example: a series R-L-C circuit
  • Totals for a whole system
  • Worked example: three loads on one supply
  • The supply current
  • From a rating to an impedance
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Key takeaways

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