![]() In the worst case, if the voltage and current waves are offset by 90 degrees, the power factor is zero. When the waves are offset, the power factor will decrease below unity. ![]() ![]() When the voltage and current waves are perfectly in phase, real and apparent power are equal and all is well in the world all the power being delivered to the device is used to produce some useful work. The ratio between real power (Watts) and apparent power (VA) is called power factor. But the “apparent” power – that is, the power you would measure if you were to stick a voltmeter and ammeter on the power cable – is measured in Volt-Amps. In an AC system, the actual real power that is available to perform work is measured in Watts. This is where Watts and Volt-Amps come into the picture.
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