Question

A power factor of a circuit can be improved by placing which, among the following, in a circuit?

(a) Inductor

(b) Capacitor

(c) Resistor

(d) Switch

This question was addressed to me in homework.

The query is from Capacitance topic in portion Capacitance and Capacitors of Basic Electrical Engineering

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(b) Capacitor

A capacitor is commonly used to improve the power factor of a circuit. In an inductive circuit, the current lags the voltage, resulting in a low power factor. By adding a capacitor, which causes the current to lead the voltage, the capacitor compensates for the inductive reactance, thus improving the power factor and bringing it closer to unity (1).