Which type of load would typically be represented by an electric motor?

An electric motor is typically represented as an inductive load. This is because electric motors operate on the principle of electromagnetic induction, which means they create a magnetic field to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. When AC voltage is applied to an electric motor, the inductance in the motor creates a lagging current due to the stored magnetic field energy.

Inductive loads, such as motors, often draw more current when starting up and can cause phase differences between voltage and current, leading to a power factor less than one. In contrast, resistive loads, like heaters or incandescent bulbs, convert electrical energy directly into heat or light without creating magnetic fields and do not exhibit the same phase differences. Capacitive loads store energy in an electric field rather than a magnetic field, and non-linear loads cause distortions in the electrical waveform, which is different from how inductive loads operate.

Thus, recognizing that electric motors primarily function through inductance highlights why they are categorized as inductive loads in the context of electrical systems.