In an AC circuit containing only a pure inductor, the power loss is typically zero. This is because an ideal inductor ideally does not dissipate power in the form of heat. Instead, it stores energy in its magnetic field when current flows through it during one half-cycle of the AC waveform and releases this energy back to the circuit during the other half-cycle. Therefore, the power loss due to resistive heating, which is common in resistors and other components, is absent in a pure inductor.
The power factor of an AC circuit containing only a pure inductor is zero. This is because the current through an ideal inductor lags the voltage by 90 degrees in an AC circuit. As a result, the average power delivered to the inductor over a complete AC cycle is zero. Although the inductor stores and releases energy, the average power transferred over time is zero, leading to a power factor of zero.
In an AC circuit with only an inductor, the concept of “power” as we typically understand it (real power) does not apply because the average power over a full AC cycle is zero due to the inductive reactance and phase relationship between voltage and current. The inductor absorbs and stores energy during one half-cycle of the AC waveform and releases it back to the circuit during the other half-cycle, resulting in no net average power consumption or generation.
The power loss in an AC circuit refers to the energy dissipated as heat due to resistive elements such as resistors or due to losses in components like transformers, transmission lines, or due to inefficiencies in devices. This loss occurs when electrical energy is converted into heat energy rather than being transferred or utilized efficiently within the circuit.
The power consumed by a pure inductance connected to an AC circuit is zero on average over a complete AC cycle. This is because the inductor does not dissipate power in the form of heat; instead, it stores and releases energy in its magnetic field without any net average power consumption. Therefore, the power consumed by a pure inductance in an AC circuit is effectively zero, considering the ideal characteristics of the inductor.