Which unit is used to measure apparent power?

Apparent power is a measure of the total power in an AC (alternating current) circuit, and it represents the combined effect of both real power (measured in watts) and reactive power (measured in VARs, or volt-amperes reactive). The unit used for apparent power is volt-ampere (VA), which allows for representing the product of the voltage and current in an AC circuit without considering the phase difference between them.

When discussing apparent power, it's important to note that the total power drawn from the grid can be visualized as a combination of real power used for work (like lighting or heating) and reactive power that sustains the electric and magnetic fields (often found in inductive loads such as motors). By understanding this concept, you see why volt-ampere is the appropriate choice; it succinctly encapsulates the overall power flow in AC circuits.

KVA (kilovolt-amperes) is simply another scale of volt-amperes, and while it represents a larger quantity (1 KVA equals 1000 VA), it is still fundamentally the same unit in a larger form. Although VAR and watts are used for reactive and real power respectively, they do not measure the total power in the