Kwisekethe ye-AC, kukho iintlobo ezimbini zamandla ombane anikezelwa kumthwalo ovela kumbane: enye ngamandla asebenzayo kwaye enye ngamandla asebenzayo. Xa umthwalo ungumthwalo othintelayo, amandla asetyenzisiweyo ngamandla asebenzayo, xa umthwalo ungumthwalo onokubangela okanye obangela umbane, ukusetyenziswa kwamandla asebenzayo. I-voltage yamandla asebenzayo kunye nombane osebenzayo kwisigaba esinye (amandla e-AC ngumahluko phakathi kwamandla asebenzayo kunye namandla asebenzayo), xa i-voltage idlula umbane, ngamandla ayo asebenzayo obangela umbane; xa umbane udlula umbane, ngamandla ayo asebenzayo obangela umbane.

Amandla asebenzayo ngamandla ombane afunekayo ukugcina ukusebenza okuqhelekileyo kwezixhobo zombane, oko kukuthi, ukuguqulwa kwamandla ombane abe zezinye iintlobo zamandla (amandla oomatshini, amandla okukhanya, ubushushu) zamandla ombane. Umzekelo: ii-kilowatts ezi-5.5 zemoto yombane yi-kilowatts ezi-5.5 zamandla ombane aguqulwa abe ngamandla oomatshini, eqhuba ipompo ukuya kumpompi wamanzi okanye umatshini wokubhula; izixhobo ezahlukeneyo zokukhanyisa ziya kuguqulwa zibe ngamandla okukhanya, ukuze abantu baphile kwaye basebenze ngokukhanyisa.

Amandla asebenzayo angabonakaliyo; ngamandla ombane asetyenziselwa ukutshintshiselana kwamasimi ombane kunye nemagnethi ngaphakathi kwesekethe kunye nokuseka nokugcina amandla emagnethi kwizixhobo zombane. Ayisebenzi ngaphandle, kodwa iguqulwa ibe zezinye iintlobo zamandla. Nasiphi na isixhobo sombane esine-coil ye-electromagnetic sisebenzisa amandla asebenzayo ukuseka intsimi yemagnethi. Umzekelo, isibane se-fluorescent se-40-watts sifuna ngaphezulu kwama-watts angama-40 wamandla asebenzayo (i-ballast nayo kufuneka isebenzise inxalenye yamandla asebenzayo) ukuze ikhuphe ukukhanya, kodwa ikwafuna malunga nama-80 wamandla asebenzayo ukuze i-ballast coil iseke intsimi yemagnethi etshintshanayo. Kuba ayenzi umsebenzi wangaphandle, kodwa ibizwa ngokuba yi-"reactive".