Engineering & Electrical
Precision calculation for technical systems and hardware.
Efficiency of AC power. Like a beer: the liquid is what you use, the foam is extra 'reactance' you pay for but don't drink.
TCR: How much the part value shifts as it gets hot. (e.g. 100ppm is 0.01%).
AWG is wire thickness. Smaller numbers are thicker and lose less power.
AC/DC Power Theory
Direct Current (DC) flows in one direction, common in batteries and solar panels. Alternating Current (AC) reverses direction periodically, which is how utility power is delivered. AC power calculation requires a "Power Factor" (PF) to account for phase shifts between voltage and current. A PF of 1.0 represents a purely resistive load, while lower values indicate inductive or capacitive reactance.
Industrial 3-Phase Power
3-Phase electrical systems deliver more power with less conductor material and provide smoother torque for industrial motors. It is the global standard for industrial and large commercial power distribution. This calculator uses the square root of 3 (approx. 1.732) to determine total power across all three lines.
Thermal Component Drift
Component values shift as temperature changes. This "drift" is usually measured in ppm/°C (parts per million per degree Celsius). For precision electronics, choosing low-drift components is critical for maintaining circuit stability and accuracy across varying thermal environments.
Voltage Drop Analysis
All conductors have resistance. As current flows through a wire over a distance, some voltage is lost as heat. Thicker wire (lower AWG number) has less resistance and reduces voltage drop. The NEC recommends a maximum 3% drop for branch circuits to ensure device reliability and safety.
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