Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Power Factor For AC Power
Power Factor For AC Power
Power Factor
For a DC circuit the power is P=VI, and this relationship also holds for the instantaneous
power in an AC circuit. However, the average power in an AC circuit expressed in terms of
the rms voltage and current is
where φ is the phase angle between the voltage and current. The additional term is called the Index
power factor
AC
Circuits
From the phasor diagram for AC impedance, it can be seen that the power factor is R/Z. For
a purely resistive AC circuit, R=Z and the power factor = 1.
Go Back
HyperPhysics***** Electricity and Magnetism R Nave
Go Back
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/powfac.html 1/2
2/22/2018 Power Factor for AC Power
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/powfac.html 2/2