| A resistor consumes electric power and produces
heat, when electric power is sent. Electric power becomes effective
(average power). However, a coil and a capacitor, store electric power
temporary, then send it back to the electric power source, when electric
power is sent. Therefore, electric power does not become effective
(reactive power) since it goes back and forth, then, between the source
and a coil, and a capacitor. Electric power source equipment needs
the capacity of apparent power that total average power and reactive
power.
Generally, the power of an alternating current network means average
power. These are the following relations among the average power,
P (W), the reactive power Ps (Var) and the apparent power, Ps (VA). |
What
is average power of an AC circuit?
Average
power is electric power that is sent to an AC device and consumed effectively
to do work. The other term of "average power" is "active
power". A unit of average power is watt.
