What unit is apparent power measured in?

Apparent power is measured in volt-amperes, which is the correct unit of measurement for this electrical concept. Apparent power represents the product of the current flowing in a circuit and the voltage across it without taking the phase angle into consideration. This is particularly important in AC circuits, where the current and voltage can be out of phase due to reactive components like inductors and capacitors.

While watts represents real power, which is the actual work done in a circuit, and kilowatts is a larger unit of measurement for real power, the key distinction lies in the understanding that apparent power encompasses both real power and reactive power. Ohms, on the other hand, are the units of resistance in electrical circuits and are not applicable to the measurement of power. Thus, volt-amps is the appropriate unit when discussing the total power in an electrical system, whether it is being used effectively or not.