1. Power Factor The ratio of the active power to the apparent power.

2. Apparent power is the product of the rms values of voltage and current

3. Watts refer to “real power,” while volt-Amperes refer to “apparent power.” Both are simply the product of voltage (V) multiplied by amperage (A)

4. A power quadrilateral consists of apparent power S, active power P, reactive power Q, and distortion power N, or is composed of a fundamental harmonic power triangle and a harmonic power triangle.

5. Apparent power is taken into account when designing and operating power systems, because although the current associated with reactive power does no work at the load, it still must be supplied by the power source.