In a 120-volt AC circuit drawing 5 amps, what is the power in watts?

In a 120-volt AC circuit drawing 5 amps, what is the power in watts?

• A. 660
• B. 500
• C. 750
• D. 600

Answer: (D)

Power in a circuit is found by multiplying the voltage by the current. For a simple 120-volt AC circuit with a current of 5 amps, the real power is P = 120 × 5 = 600 watts. So the correct option is the one that lists 600 watts. In basic problems we assume a power factor of 1 (unity), so this straightforward VI product gives the answer; if the load weren’t purely resistive, the real power could be less than VI.

Power in a circuit is found by multiplying the voltage by the current. For a simple 120-volt AC circuit with a current of 5 amps, the real power is P = 120 × 5 = 600 watts. So the correct option is the one that lists 600 watts. In basic problems we assume a power factor of 1 (unity), so this straightforward VI product gives the answer; if the load weren’t purely resistive, the real power could be less than VI.