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What is lagging and leading current?

Updated: 10/19/2022
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Leading and lagging currents are not so much "currents" as they are "situations" or "conditions" in an electrical circuit. Reactive characteristics, if there are any, will not let voltage and current be in phase in a circuit. (Unless they are equal, and this will be true at only one frequency.) In some circuits, current leads voltage (or voltage lags current), and in other circuits, current lags voltage (voltage leads current), depending on the circuit and also on the frequency of the applied signal. In a capacitor, current leads voltage, and in an inductor, current lags voltage. This carries over to circuits that exhibit primarily capacitive or inductive characteristics. Additionally, reactance varies with frequency. As a given circuit with inductance and capacitance is evaluated, at some frequencies, it will appear capacitive, and current will lead voltage. At other frequencies, the circuit will appear inductive, and current will lag voltage. Only at a frequency where the reactances are equal will the current and voltage be in phase. The ideas here are best reviewed after achieving an understanding of the nature of inductance and capacitance, the associated reactances, and the way frequency affects these characteristics.

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Current is a vector quantity with certain magnitude and direction same as Voltage or Potential Difference . So when flows in any circuit, it is in phase or out of phase with applied voltage, if its magnitude and direction is changing before applied voltage then said to be leading current and if after then lagging current.

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Q: What is lagging and leading current?
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What lagging or leading?

You must knew there's a sinusoidal wave form for both voltage nd current. That wave form is drawn between voltage/current nd phase angle. Unity: phase angle of voltage nd current matches, irrespective of magnitude leading: phase angle of current leads voltage by an angle lagging: phase angle of voltage leads current or current lags voltage by an angleAnswerThe terms, 'leading' and 'lagging' apply to a.c. loads. 'Leading' means that the load current leads the supply voltage, whereas 'lagging' means that the load current lags the supply voltage. 'Leading' currents occur in capacitive loads, whereas 'lagging' currents occur in inductive loads.'Leading' and 'lagging' refers to what the current is doing, relative to the voltage, never the other way around.


What determines leading or lagging power factor?

underdampedAnswerA lagging power factor describes a situation in which the load current is lagging the supply voltage. This describes an inductive load, such as a motor, etc.


Why Power factor becomes less lagging when capacitor is switched on?

Because capacitor withdraw leading current from source and net resultant become less lagging.


What is meant by leading and lagging pf?

Power Factor is the ratio of true vs apparent power, and comes into play with a reactive (inductive or capacitive) load. A purely resistive load, such as a light bulb or toaster, will have a power factor of 1 because the current is in phase with the voltage. An inductive load, however, such as a motor, will have a power factor less than 1 because the current lags the voltage. You could also have a capacitive load, with a power factor less than 1, but in this case the current leads the voltage.AnswerThe terms, 'leading' and 'lagging' refer to whether a circuit's load current is leading or lagging the supply voltage. Current will 'lead' in resistive-capacitive (R-C) circuits, and 'lag' in resistive-inductive (R-L) circuits. So, a 'leading power factor' indicates a leading current, and applies to R-C circuits, while a 'lagging power factor' indicates a lagging current, and applies to R-L circuits.


Which power factor is advantage lagging or leading and why?

A lagging power factor is caused by inductive reactance, which is composed of resistance and inductance -- and the resistance component lowers the supply volts. A leading power factor provides capacitive reactance that actually helps improve source voltage -- this helps motor loads run cooler.

Related questions

Leading and lagging power factor?

The terms, 'leading' and 'lagging' refer to what the load current is doing, relative to the supply voltage (Phase difference) -never the other way around. If the current is leading the voltage, then the power factor is 'leading'; if the current is lagging the voltage, then the power factor is 'lagging'.


Would you compare generator current to line voltage to determine if your leading or lagging?

It's always the current that determines 'leading' or 'lagging' -i.e. the angle by which the current leads or lags the voltage.


What lagging or leading?

You must knew there's a sinusoidal wave form for both voltage nd current. That wave form is drawn between voltage/current nd phase angle. Unity: phase angle of voltage nd current matches, irrespective of magnitude leading: phase angle of current leads voltage by an angle lagging: phase angle of voltage leads current or current lags voltage by an angleAnswerThe terms, 'leading' and 'lagging' apply to a.c. loads. 'Leading' means that the load current leads the supply voltage, whereas 'lagging' means that the load current lags the supply voltage. 'Leading' currents occur in capacitive loads, whereas 'lagging' currents occur in inductive loads.'Leading' and 'lagging' refers to what the current is doing, relative to the voltage, never the other way around.


What is meant by lagging and leading circuit?

The terms, 'lagging' and 'leading', describe the relationship between a circuit's load current and supply voltage. They describe whether the load current waveform is leading or lagging the supply voltage -always the current, never the voltage. Inductive loads always cause the current to lag the supply voltage, whereas capacitive loads always cause the current to lead the supply voltage.


Power factor lead or lag?

By definition, the terms 'leading' and 'lagging' refer to what the load current is doing with respect to the supply voltage. So, for a 'lagging power factor', it is the current that is lagging.


What determines leading or lagging power factor?

underdampedAnswerA lagging power factor describes a situation in which the load current is lagging the supply voltage. This describes an inductive load, such as a motor, etc.


Which strand (leading or lagging) will have the okazaki fragments?

The lagging strand.


Why Power factor becomes less lagging when capacitor is switched on?

Because capacitor withdraw leading current from source and net resultant become less lagging.


What is meant by leading and lagging pf?

Power Factor is the ratio of true vs apparent power, and comes into play with a reactive (inductive or capacitive) load. A purely resistive load, such as a light bulb or toaster, will have a power factor of 1 because the current is in phase with the voltage. An inductive load, however, such as a motor, will have a power factor less than 1 because the current lags the voltage. You could also have a capacitive load, with a power factor less than 1, but in this case the current leads the voltage.AnswerThe terms, 'leading' and 'lagging' refer to whether a circuit's load current is leading or lagging the supply voltage. Current will 'lead' in resistive-capacitive (R-C) circuits, and 'lag' in resistive-inductive (R-L) circuits. So, a 'leading power factor' indicates a leading current, and applies to R-C circuits, while a 'lagging power factor' indicates a lagging current, and applies to R-L circuits.


What actually the power factor is?

Power factor is the cosine of the angle by which the current leads or lags the voltage in an a.c. circuit. It can also be defined as the ratio between a load's true power (expressed in watts) and its apparent power (expessed in volt amperes).Power factor is designated as 'leading' or 'lagging' which is determined by whether the current is leading or lagging the supply voltage. Leading currents are associated with resistive-capacitive circuits, whereas lagging current are associated with resistive-inductive circuits.


What types of loads have a leading power factor?

Capacitive loads have a leading power factor. Current leads voltage when there is capacitive reactance. (The opposite is inductive, which is lagging.)


What is meant by lead and lag?

The terms, 'lagging' and 'leading', describe the relationship between a circuit's load current and supply voltage. They describe whether the load current waveform is leading or lagging the supply voltage -always the current, never the voltage. Inductive loads always cause the current to lag the supply voltage, whereas capacitive loads always cause the current to lead the supply voltage.