What effect does an increase in reactive and apparent power have on the power factor?

An increase in reactive and apparent power leads to a decrease in the power factor because the power factor is defined as the ratio of real power (the power that performs useful work) to the apparent power (the total power which includes both real and reactive power).

When reactive power increases, it signifies that more power is drawn for the magnetic field required for inductive loads (like motors and transformers), but this reactive power does not contribute to the work being done. As a result, the proportion of real power to apparent power becomes smaller, which effectively lowers the power factor. A lower power factor indicates less efficient use of electrical power, as more reactive power is flowing through the system without contributing to productive work. Thus, an increase in both reactive and apparent power ultimately results in a diminished power factor.