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Power Factor Equations

Power Factor Formulas Equations - RF Cafe

Power Factor (PF) = cos (θ)

Apparent Power (P) = I * V

True Power = P

I = Current

θ = Phase angle

V = Voltage

A calculator is included in the Free Espresso Engineering Workbook.

 

Power factor measures the phase angle (θ) between the instantaneous voltage and the instantaneous current in a circuit. Voltage (E) leads current (I) by 90° in an inductive (L) circuit and voltage (E) lags current (I) by 90° in a capacitive (C) circuit.

A popular mnemonic is ELI the ICE man since E is leading (coming before) I in ELI, and E is lagging (coming after) I in ICE.

Power Formulas
Apparent Power

PA = I * V  [VA]

PA = I2 * R  [VA]

PA = V2 / R  [VA]

True Power (Real)

Pt = I * V * cos (θ)  [W]

PT = I2 * Z * cos (θ)  [W]

PT = V2 * cos (θ) / Z  [W]

Reactive Power (Q)

PR = I * V * sin (θ)  [VAR]

PR = I2 * Z * sin (θ)  [VAR]

PR = V2 * sin (θ) / Z  [VAR]

Current

I = P / [V * cos (θ)]

I = sqrt {P / [Z * cos (θ)]}

Voltage

V = P / [I * cos (θ)]

V = sqrt [P * Z / cos (θ)]

Impedance

Z = V2 * cos (θ) / P

Z = P / [I2 * cos (θ)]

 

where

P = PT ± jPR

P = power in Watts

V = voltage in Volts

I = current in Amps

R = resistance in Ohms (Ω)

Z = impedance in Ohms (Ω)

θ = phase angle between I and V in degrees

PF = power factor

PA = apparent power in Volt·Amps (VA)

PR = apparent power in Volt·Amps (VA)

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About RF Cafe

Kirt Blattenberger - RF Cafe Webmaster

Copyright: 1996 - 2024

Webmaster:

    Kirt Blattenberger,

    BSEE - KB3UON

RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a nice lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...

Copyright  1996 - 2026

All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the RF Cafe website are hereby acknowledged.

All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the RF Cafe website are hereby acknowledged.

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