Apparent Power Converter

This page converts an apparent power from one unit into another. Every value passes through the volt-ampere, the SI unit apparent power is held in, and apparent power stays apparent power: a unit only converts inside its own dimension.

How do you convert apparent power between VA, kVA and MVA?

Pick the unit you have, pick the unit you want, and type the value. The page multiplies by the factor between the two and prints the arithmetic under the result, so the answer and the working are the same object.

1. Choose the unit your value is in. This page opens on the kilovolt-ampere.
2. Choose the unit you want it in. This page opens on the megavolt-ampere.
3. Type the value. The result and the factor behind it appear together.
4. Read the working. It converts into the volt-ampere first and out again, which is the same two lines you would write by hand.

Apparent Power Conversion Table

One row per unit this page offers, each measured against the volt-ampere. The last column says whether the factor is a definition or a reading of one.

Worked Examples

The question the bank ranked highest for this page, answered with the working.

Where These Factors Come From

Every number above is read from the knowledge base rather than computed for the page. These are the statements it holds for apparent power.

• Apparent power is RMS voltage times RMS current, measured in volt-amperes. Real power in watts is apparent power times the power factor, so a 1 kVA supply at a power factor of 0.8 delivers 800 W.
• An SI prefix multiplies a unit by a power of ten: k is 10^3, M is 10^6, G is 10^9, m is 10^-3, micro is 10^-6 and n is 10^-9. The prefix belongs to the unit, so 1 kV is 1000 V.
• Reactive power is measured in volt-amperes reactive. Real power P, reactive power Q and apparent power S are related by S^2 = P^2 + Q^2, which is why three unit names exist for one dimension.
• How this page reports a result result in the target VA prefix, plain decimal; no power factor is applied

SI prefixes on this page

What Does Power Factor Change?

Power factor is the ratio of real power to apparent power, and it decides how much of a supply rated in volt-amperes turns into watts. This page scales a value that is already in volt-amperes; it applies no power factor and produces no watts.

The rule behind this factor is the same for every unit - the prefix ladder from micro to mega.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Conversions

• Voltage sits in the same measurement group as apparent power - convert a voltage between volts and millivolts.
• Electric charge sits in the same measurement group as apparent power - convert a charge between coulombs and milliamp-hours.
• Reactive power sits in the same measurement group as apparent power - convert reactive power between VAR and kVAR.
• Reactive energy sits in the same measurement group as apparent power - convert reactive energy between VARh and kVARh.
• Electric current sits in the same measurement group as apparent power - convert a current between amps and milliamps.
• If you are measuring volumetric flow rate rather than apparent power, litres per minute and gallons per minute side by side instead.

The rest of the family sits on all the electrical unit converters.