Ateneo de Naga University

College of Science and Engineering

Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering

ECEM321LAB GE31
CIRCUITS II

Laboratory Experiment 14
Measurement of Power Factor

Group Members:
Christopher Tolete
Steven Kyle Tan

Laboratory Date Performed: February 27, 2017

Report Date Submitted: March 6, 2017

Objective:
 It is often convenient to discuss true power and apparent power in a complex
a-c circuit in terms of the ratio of the two. Such a ratio is called the power factor.
The purpose of this experiment is to become acquainted with this ratio and the
techniques used to measure it.
Materials:
Digital Multitester
Variac
Oscilloscope
330-ohm resistor
100-ohm resistor
10-f capacitor
Wattmeter

Procedure:
1. Connect the circuit shown in figure (see circuit on the board).
2. Adjust the Variac for a voltmeter reading of about 30 volts rms.
3. Measure and record the in Table 14 the current and voltage.
4. From the values taken in step 3, compute the apparent power.
5. Replace the DM with the wattmeter and record the true power.
6. Using Eq. pf = PT / Papp, compute the power factor.
7. Remove the wattmeter and, using the oscilloscope, measure the impedance
angle .
8. Using the angle measured in step 7, compute the power factor.
9. Compute the percent difference between the two values of power factor.
Table:

E I Papp PT pf pf % Diff
30V 60.4mA 1.812W 1.65W 0.9105 13.015 0.9743 6.548%
Problems:
1. If the reactive factor is defined as the ratio of the reactive power to the
apparent power, what was the reactive factor in this experiment?
2. How could the reactive factor be determined experimentally?
3. If 110 volts at 400 cycles were applied to the circuit in the experimental
figure, what would be the resulting power factor?
4. The power factor of a certain load is 0.83. The apparent power is measured to
be 312 va. What is the value of the reactive power? What is the value of the
true power?
5. What power factor would be associated with 100+j70 ohms?
6. What would be the reactive factor in Prob. 5?
7. If a 1000-watt electric soldering iron draws 10 amp from a 117-volt line, what
is the power factor of the iron?

Answers:
Steven Kyle Tan
 P app2PT 2 = 1.81221.65
1. rf = P app 1.812 = 0.413

2. Get the sine value of the impedance angle, which is .

V2 110 2
= =27.90+ j 2.58=28.02 L5.29
3. P Z j =
330+100
2 (400)(10 )

PT 27.90
pf =
= =0.996
Papp 28.02

4. P(true) = Papp(pf) = 312(0.83) = 258.96W

Preactive = 3122258.962=174.02 VAR

100
=0.82
5. pf = 1002 +702

6. rf= 0.57

1000
=0.85
7. 117 (10)

Christopher Tolete

P app2PT 2 = 1.81221.65
1. rf = P app 1.812 = 0.413

2. Finding the sine of the impedance angle .

2 2
V 110
= =27.90+ j 2.58=28.02 L5.29
3. P Z j =
330+100
2 (400)(10 )
PT 27.90
pf =
= =0.996
Papp 28.02
4. P(true) = Papp(pf) = 312(0.83) = 258.96W
Preactive = 3122258.962=174.02 VAR
 100
=0.82
5. pf = 1002 +702
6. rf= 0.57
1000
=0.85
7. 117 (10)

Analysis and Conclusion:

Steven Kyle Tan
The lab experiment is all about the measurement of power factor which is the
ratio of the real power that is used to do work and the apparent power that is
supplied to the circuit. Power factor in AC circuit get values in the range of 0 to 1,
but for DC circuits it is always 1. By computation the power factor is equal to the
real or true power P in watts (W) divided by the apparent power.
Conducting the experiment for me was easy since the steps are similar to the
previous activities and there are only minimal things to be measured, not to
mention the given circuit is really simple. The only time consuming part of the
experiment is setting all the components and measuring devices in place as well as
securing the connection of the circuit. Also the experiment is mainly computation
which was easy since all of the equations we are supposed to use is already given,
knowing how to properly substitute values will let one get all the values needed for
the activity.