that power apparently available for use in an AC circuit containing a reactive element It is the product of effective voltage times effective current expressed in volt-amperes It must be multiplied by the power factor to obtain true power available
The simple product of voltage and current This does not represent the actual power in an AC circuit because it does not take into account phase shift and harmonic distortion Therefore, instead of being expressed in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW), it is expressed in kilovolt-amperes (kVA) Apparent power is never less than actual power Transformers, wires, and other power distribution equipment must be sized for apparent power
In alternating-current power transmission and distribution, the product of the rms voltage and amperage Note 1: When the applied voltage and the current are in phase with one another, the apparent power is equal to the effective power, i e , the real power delivered to or consumed by the load If the current lags or leads the applied voltage, the apparent power is greater than the effective power Note 2: Only effective power, i e , the real power delivered to or consumed by the load, is expressed in watts Apparent power is properly expressed only in volt-amperes, never watts See diagram under effective power
-The product of the applied voltage and current in an ac circuit Apparent power, or volt-amps, is not the true power of the circuit because the power factor is not considered in the calculation
the mathematical product of voltage and current on ac systems Since voltage and current may not be in phase on ac systems, the apparent power thus calculated may not equal the real power, but may actually exceed it Reactive loads (inductance and/or capacitance) on ac systems will cause the apparent power to be larger than the real power
The product of input RMS voltage times input RMS current In AC input, switch-mode power systems, where the input current is distorted, high RMS values result in high apparent power
A term only applicable to Alternating Current (AC) circuits, it is the product of the voltage applied times the current flow The unit of measure is VA, or Voltamperes