Starting from real power and power factor alone, the complete AC power triangle for a 415 V three-phase load ā apparent power, reactive power and current, all in one pass.
| Known quantity | 100 kW real power |
| System | 415 V three-phase |
| Power factor | 0.85 lagging |
| Check | Requirement | Actual | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparent power | n/a (this is the conversion result) | 117.65 kVA | ā PASS |
| Reactive power | n/a (this is the conversion result) | 61.97 kVAr | ā PASS |
| Line current | n/a (this is the conversion result) | 163.67 A | ā PASS |
Key insight: Any two of {P, Q, S, PF} (plus voltage, for current) fully determine the rest of the power triangle ā this calculator can start from whichever one quantity is actually known (kW, kVA, kVAr, or measured amps) and derive everything else, rather than requiring the input to always be real power specifically.
Every input in this example is editable in the live calculator ā free, no signup.
Open kW / kVA / kVAR / Amps Converter calculator āAt unity power factor, apparent power equals real power exactly (S = P, since PF = 1), and reactive power drops to zero ā physically, this represents a purely resistive load with no magnetizing or capacitive reactive component, which is why the calculator flags kVAr as the known quantity as mathematically undefined at PF = 1 (any apparent power value would give zero reactive power, so there's nothing to solve for from that direction).
No ā the magnitude relationships between P, Q, S and I are identical whether the load is inductive (lagging, drawing reactive power) or capacitive (leading, supplying reactive power back). The lagging/leading distinction matters for how that reactive power interacts with the rest of the system (e.g. whether it helps or hurts overall power factor when combined with other loads), not for this load's own P/Q/S/I magnitudes in isolation.