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AC Power Formula:
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The AC Power Calculation Formula calculates real power in alternating current circuits. It considers both the magnitude of voltage and current as well as the phase difference between them through the power factor.
The calculator uses the AC Power formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the actual power consumed in an AC circuit, accounting for the phase difference between voltage and current waveforms.
Details: Power factor represents the efficiency of power usage in AC systems. A power factor of 1 indicates perfect efficiency, while lower values indicate reactive power losses. Utilities often charge penalties for low power factor in industrial applications.
Tips: Enter voltage in volts, current in amperes, and power factor as a decimal between 0 and 1. All values must be positive, with power factor ranging from 0 to 1 inclusive.
Q1: What is the difference between real power and apparent power?
A: Real power (P) is the actual power consumed and measured in watts. Apparent power (S = V×I) is the product of voltage and current in volt-amperes (VA).
Q2: What causes low power factor?
A: Low power factor is typically caused by inductive loads like motors, transformers, and fluorescent lighting that create phase displacement between voltage and current.
Q3: How can power factor be improved?
A: Power factor correction is achieved by adding capacitors to counteract inductive reactance, bringing the power factor closer to 1.
Q4: What is a typical power factor value?
A: Residential power factors range from 0.8 to 0.9, while industrial facilities aim for 0.95 or higher to avoid utility penalties.
Q5: Does this formula work for three-phase systems?
A: For balanced three-phase systems, multiply by √3: P = √3 × V × I × cosφ, where V is line-to-line voltage.