Reactive Power Converter

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

How do you convert reactive power between VAR, kVAR and MVAR?

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

Reactive Power Conversion Table

One row per unit this page offers, each measured against the volt-ampere reactive. 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 reactive power.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• How this page reports a result result in the target VAR prefix, plain decimal

SI prefixes on this page

How Is Reactive Power Different from Real Power?

Real power does work. Reactive power moves back and forth between the source and the load without doing any. Both carry the dimension of power, so the unit names are kept apart to say which component a figure is, and this page converts VAR into VAR.

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 reactive power - convert a voltage between volts and millivolts.
• Apparent power sits in the same measurement group as reactive power - convert apparent power between kVA and MVA.
• Electric charge sits in the same measurement group as reactive power - convert a charge between coulombs and milliamp-hours.
• Reactive energy sits in the same measurement group as reactive power - convert reactive energy between VARh and kVARh.
• Electric current sits in the same measurement group as reactive power - current in microamps, milliamps and kiloamps.
• If you are measuring volumetric flow rate rather than reactive power, scale a flow rate up or down instead.

The rest of the family sits on the other electrical converters.