Given a single-phase circuit with a wattmeter reading of 2400 W and voltmeter reading of 240 V, what is the apparent power?

To determine the apparent power in a single-phase circuit, we use the relationship between real power (measured in watts), voltage (in volts), and current (in amperes). Apparent power (measured in volt-amperes) is defined as the product of the voltage and the current.

Apparent Power (S) can be calculated using the formula:

[ S = V \times I ]

Where:

• ( S ) is the apparent power in volt-amperes (VA),

• ( V ) is the voltage in volts (V),

• ( I ) is the current in amperes (A).

To find the current, we can rearrange the formula for real power (P):

[ P = V \times I \cos(\phi) ]

Where:

• ( P ) is the real power in watts (W),

• ( \cos(\phi) ) is the power factor (which ranges from 0 to 1 and accounts for phase differences).

However, since we are looking for apparent power, we can assume that the voltage given is the same as the peak voltage (in RMS) and derive current as follows:

First, the real power is given as 2400 W