Extra exam question E5D09
Subelement E5, ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES· Group E5D
What happens to reactive power in ideal inductors and capacitors?
- A.It is dissipated as heat in the circuit
- B.Energy is stored in magnetic or electric fields, but power is not dissipated (correct answer)
- C.It is canceled by Coulomb forces in the capacitor and inductor
- D.It is dissipated in the formation of inductive and capacitive fields
WhyIn ideal inductors and capacitors, reactive power is stored in the magnetic or electric field rather than dissipated as heat. In ideal inductors and capacitors, reactive power isn't actually dissipated as heat, energy is simply stored in the component's magnetic or electric field during part of the AC cycle and then returned to the circuit during another part, with no net power consumed over a full cycle, answer B. It isn't dissipated as heat, isn't canceled by Coulomb forces, and isn't lost in the formation of the fields themselves, ideal reactive components are lossless by definition.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2024-2028 NCVEC Element 4 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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