Class 12 Physics simulations · Alternating Current

AC power and phase lag

Compare voltage, current, and instantaneous power in a series resistor–inductor circuit.

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What to notice

Current lags voltage. Negative instantaneous power means energy is returning from the inductor to the source.

Key relation

Paverage = Vrms Irms cos φ

Try this

Increase inductance and watch the current shift farther behind voltage.

What you can change

• Resistance: 10 to 100 Ω
• Inductance: 0.05 to 0.5 H
• Supply frequency: 25 to 100 Hz

More in Alternating Current

• AC generator
• Energy exchange in an LC circuit
• LR circuit: phasors and phase lag
• Reactance versus frequency
• Series RLC resonance
• RMS and average values of waveforms
• Ideal transformer

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