what is wattless current?explain briefly.

In an a.c. (alternating current) circuit, there are two components to impedance. There is a resistive component and a reactive component. The reactive component is the algebraic sum of the total inductive and capacitive reactances.
Both the resistive and reactive components impede the flow of a.c. current. The resistive component converts power into heat that is wasted. The reactive component stores power in a magnetic field (for inductors) and an electric field (for capacitors). When the power source is turned off, the magnetic and electric fields collapse and return the stored energy back to the circuit in the form of an induced current. So no energy is wasted in the reactive components. Therefore since power is measured in watts, the current flowing through reactive components is considered to be "wattless current".

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Apoorva Arora
IIT Roorkee
askIITians Faculty

the current flow in the circuit which does not dissipate any power in circuit is called watless current

Actually there is two components which opposses the flow of a.c. in an a.c. circuit..They are resistive component and the reactive component.The resistive component means the resistor and we know that resistor opposses the current..The reactive component is the combination of inductive and capacitive reactance,i.e.the inductor and the capacitor..Now the power is wasted in the form of heat by the resistive component.but the power is stored in the form of energy by the reactive component in the magnetic field and electric field of inductor and capacitor respectively..Now when the power ia switched off,magnetic and electric field disappears and gives the energy back to the circuit in the form of induced current..Now power is measured in watts and so the current flowing the reactive component is called wattless current.