Power factor

In AC power, it is the ratio of active power to apparent power and is expressed by the following formula.

Active power/Apparent power
or
(Active power/Apparent power)x100(%)

It indicates the phase difference of the current waveform relative to the voltage waveform. When the current leads, it is called a leading power factor; when it lags, it is called a lagging power factor. The degree of lag is determined by the proportion of the L (inductance) component in the electric circuit, and the degree of lead is determined by the proportion of the C (capacitor) component. When there are no LC components, the power factor is 1 (100%). In transmission and distribution circuits, the power factor is required to be increased to about 0.8 (80%) in order to effectively utilize electric wires and reduce losses. To improve a lagging power factor, a phase-advancing capacitor is installed.