Red Seal Electrician Practice
Power factor and three-phaseQuestion 1151 of 1506

What does apparent power measure?

  1. The product of circuit voltage and current, in VA
  2. Only the power turned into heat, in watts
  3. Only the reactive power, in VAR
  4. The energy used in one hour
Show answer

Correct answer: The product of circuit voltage and current, in VA

Apparent power S = V x I, with no regard to phase angle. It combines true and reactive power.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits II: AC (Kuphaldt), 11.2: True, Reactive, and Apparent Power

Practice power factor and three-phase

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026