<s>[INST] What `Volt*Ampere` units are used for? [/INST] The unit VA (volt-ampere) is used in electrical engineering to measure apparent power in an AC circuit. Apparent power is the total electrical power load applied to the components of the circuit. It includes power resulting from oscillating currents that effectively do not transfer energy (so called reactive power). Electrical components must be designed to endure the apparent power, so the unit VA is sometimes used to rate the maximum load, e.g., of AC power supplies or transformers.

Technically, 1 VA is equivalent to 1 Watt. However, the unit VA is used for apparent power to avoid confusion with active power (measured in Watts), which is the actual energy that is actually transferred and can be used, e.g., to light a lamp or drive a motor. </s>