HRB1684301-16

Current phase shift from voltage

Electrical current can lag, lead, or be in phase with the AC voltage waveform, and is typically associated with the type of load — inductive, capacitive or resistive.

For purely resistive loads, the current waveform is in phase with the voltage waveform. For capacitive loads, current leads voltage. For inductive loads, current lags voltage.

The following diagrams show how voltage and current waveforms shift based on load type under ideal (laboratory) conditions.

Current and voltage in phase (resistive) Current leads voltage (capacitive) Current lags voltage (inductive)
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