Apparent Power

Apparent power is a measurement used in electrical systems to represent the total power flowing from the source to a device. It combines both the useful work (real power) and the energy that oscillates back and forth without doing work (reactive power). Imagine water flowing through a pipe: some water moves to do work (like turning a turbine), while some just moves back and forth without producing useful energy. Apparent power accounts for both these components, expressed in volt-amperes (VA), providing a complete picture of the energy transfer in an electrical circuit.