active power
1
4.9
- noun
- Specialized
:
potencia activa
- The active power in this circuit ensures that the lights are functioning properly.
Examples
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Active power is that used for such tasks as lighting a room or turning a motor shaft.
Academic text (2004) -
Active power is crucial for devices that require a consistent energy supply, like refrigerators.
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In electrical engineering, active power refers to the energy that actually performs work in an electrical system.
Synonyms
4
6.7
Electrical energy in an alternating current that actually does work
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally understandable to the extent that 'active' + 'power' suggests power that actually produces work or has an effective role, so a learner who knows the constituents can form a rough, intuitive sense. However, the precise electrical-engineering sense (real vs. reactive power, averaged over an AC cycle) is technical and not predictable from everyday usage, so full understanding requires domain knowledge.
Etymology
Active power comes from the idea of energy that is actually 'doing work'. The word active means 'doing' and power means energy, so active power is the part of electrical power that makes machines turn or lights shine, not the part that only moves back and forth.