volt-amps

A measurement of electrical power. In a DC circuit, volt-amps (VA) and watts are the same because DC circuits do not add inductance and capacitance. In AC devices, where current is a continuous push-pull, volt-amps ratings are calculated to be higher than watts and are known as the "apparent" power. For example, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) uses the VA rating to reflect the power draw from the typical electronic devices it keeps running until the battery is drained. See watt, RMS and UPS.

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