Symmetrical components

Symmetrical components are a way of representing electric systems and power circuits that involve three-phase power. Three-phase means 3 electric circuits that are connected together, like 3 pieces of spaghetti stuck together. To more easily analyze what is going on in these circuits, the electricity is broken down into three different components. This makes it easier for us to figure out how the electricity is behaving and what might be causing problems. The three components are called the 'positive', 'negative', and 'zero' components because they can help us see which way the electricity is going in the system.