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Chapter 11

Fundamentals of

Electrical Loads

The electrical load devices that are used in industry, in our homes,
and in commercial buildings are very important parts of electrical power
systems. The load of any system performs a function that involves pow-
er conversion. A load converts one form of energy to another form. An
electrical load converts electrical energy to some other form of energy,
such as heat, light, or mechanical energy. Electrical loads may be classi-
fied according to the function that they perform (lighting, heating, me-
chanical), or by the electrical characteristics that they exhibit (resistive,
inductive, capacitive).

IMPORTANT TERMS

Chapter 11 deals with fundamentals of electrical loads. After study-
ing this chapter, you should have an understanding of the following
terms:

Load
Resistive Load
Capacitive Load
Inductive Load
Load (Demand) Factor
Power Factor
Power Factor Correction
True Power
Apparent Power
Reactive Power
Static Capacitor