HRB1684301-18

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)
The image illustrates the behavior of electrical signals in a purely resistive circuit. It features two sinusoidal waveforms—voltage (V) shown as a solid blue line and current (I) as a dashed green line—both having the same frequency and phase alignment. The horizontal axis represents time, with key phase markers at 90° and 270°. A resistor symbol is placed between the V and I labels to indicate the resistive nature of the circuit. On the right side, a phasor diagram displays voltage vectors (Va, Vb, Vc) and current vectors (Ia, Ib, Ic), all aligned to show that voltage and current are in phase. The image illustrates the phase relationship between voltage and current in a capacitive circuit. On the left, a graph displays two sinusoidal waveforms: voltage (V) in blue and current (I) in green. The current waveform leads the voltage waveform by 90 degrees, indicating a capacitive load. On the right, a phasor diagram shows voltage vectors Va, Vb, Vc and current vectors Ia, Ib, Ic, representing the phase angles and magnitudes of each phase in a three-phase system. The image illustrates the phase relationship in an inductive circuit. On the left, two sinusoidal waveforms are shown: voltage (V) in blue and current (I) in green. The current waveform lags the voltage waveform by 90 degrees, indicating inductive behavior. On the right, a phasor diagram displays voltage vectors (Va, Vb, Vc) and current vectors (Ia, Ib, Ic), representing the phase angles and magnitudes of each phase in a three-phase system.
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