Electrical Engineering › Section L · Power (ac) and resonance › Topic L.1
Resistive, inductive, and capacitive power
In an ac circuit some energy is used up and some only borrows the wiring for a moment and goes back to the source. Real, reactive and apparent power separate the two, and they explain why equipment is rated in volt-amperes rather than watts.
In this topic
- Power that comes back
- Instantaneous power for any load
- The resistor: all real power
- Apparent power and kVA ratings
- The inductor: reactive power
- The capacitor: reactive power of opposite sign
- Worked example: one load, three powers
- Worked example: an inductor and a capacitor on the mains
- Why reactive power matters
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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