The most common misconception about power is that it can be measured. True power is the actual amount of power that equipment consumes and uses. The ratio of this power to the apparent (or reactive) voltage and current is called the power factor, or PF. The ratio is a measure of the efficiency of a electrical system. Reactive power is the imaginary power that is generated by an inductive or capacitive load, and is measured in Volt amperes.
True power is the product of the voltage across a load and the current flowing through it. However, it gets complicated when the load is reactive, as its waveform is non-sinusoidal with lag and lead angles. This means that true power is less than the simple product of voltage across a load and the current flowing it. This makes it important to know the optimum voltage and current to match a load's requirements.
In simpler terms, the voltage across a load is equal to the current flowing through it. However, the calculation becomes a bit more complicated when the load is not a pure resistive one. Reactive loads have a non-sinusoidal waveform, and their currents have lag or lead angles. Therefore, the true power of a load is less than the simple product of voltage and current. The true power of a load is the difference between apparent power and actual power.
The difference between the apparent and real power of a load is essential to understand and use when calculating power. This difference between real and apparent power is essential for understanding power in electronic circuits. Reactive power is derived from the voltage of a load and the current flowing through it. In contrast, active power is a result of the active power of the load. A true power is equal to the product of voltage and current.
In other words, true power is not the same as apparent power. While apparent and real power are the same, they are not the same. A real power is the difference between a load and a circuit. This is also important for evaluating the true and the perceived power of a load. There are three kinds of real and reactive power. In a resistive load, the energy flowing toward the load is the same as the voltage. The true and reactive power are not the same.
The true power of a load is equal to the voltage x the current. The real and apparent power of a load are the same. But when the load is reactive, the true power is greater than the apparent and real power. So the difference between the two is often not very clear. Regardless of the type of true and reactive power, you should be aware of how it works. In the case of electrical circuits, a purely reactive load is equivalent to a purely resistive load.