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Home / AC Circuits / Phase Difference and Phase Shift

Phase Difference and Phase

Shift
Phase Difference is used to describe the difference in degrees
or radians when two or more alternating quantities reach
their maximum or zero values

Phasors are an effective way of analysing the behavour of elements within an AC circuit when the circuit
frequencies are the same. The result of adding together two phasors depends on their relative phase, whether
they are “in-phase” or “out-of-phase” due to some phase difference.

A sinusoidal waveform is an alternating quantity that can be presented graphically in the time domain along a
horizontal axis. As a time-varying quantity, sinusoidal waveforms have a positive maximum value at time π/2, a
negative maximum value at time 3π/2, with zero values occurring along the baseline at 0, π and 2π points.

However, not all sinusoidal waveforms will pass exactly through the zero axis point at the same time, but may be
“shifted” to the right or to the left of 0o by some value when compared to another sine wave.

For example, comparing a voltage waveform to that of a current waveform. This then produces an angular shift or
Phase Difference between the two sinusoidal waveforms. Any sine wave that does not pass through zero at t = 0
has a phase shift.

The difference or phase shift as it is also called of a Sinusoidal Waveform is the angle Φ (Greek letter Phi), in
degrees or radians that the waveform has shifted from a certain reference point along the horizontal zero axis. In
other words phase shift is the lateral difference between two or more waveforms along a common axis and
sinusoidal waveforms of the same frequency can have a phase difference.

The difference between phases, Φ of an alternating waveform can vary from between 0 to its maximum time
period, T of the waveform during one complete cycle and this can be anywhere along the horizontal axis between,
Φ = 0 to 2π (radians) or Φ = 0 to 360o depending upon the angular units used.

Phase difference can also be expressed as a time shift of τ in seconds representing a fraction of the time period, T
for example, +10mS or – 50uS but generally it is more common to express phase difference as an angular
measurement.

Then the equation for the instantaneous value of a sinusoidal voltage or current waveform we developed in the
previous Sinusoidal Waveform will need to be modified to take account of the phase angle of the waveform and
this new general expression becomes.

Phase Difference Equation

Where:

Am – is the amplitude of the waveform.

ωt – is the angular frequency of the waveform in radian/sec.
Φ (phi) – is the phase angle in degrees or radians that the waveform has shifted either left or right from the
reference point.

If the positive slope of the sinusoidal waveform passes through the horizontal axis “before” t = 0 then the
waveform has shifted to the left so Φ >0, and the phase angle will be positive in nature, +Φ giving a leading phase
angle. In other words it appears earlier in time than 0o producing an anticlockwise rotation of the vector.

Likewise, if the positive slope of the sinusoidal waveform passes through the horizontal x-axis some time “after” t =
0 then the waveform has shifted to the right so Φ <0, and the phase angle will be negative in nature -Φ producing a
lagging phase angle as it appears later in time than 0o producing a clockwise rotation of the vector. Both cases are
shown below.

Phase Relationship of a Sinusoidal Waveform

Firstly, lets consider that two alternating quantities such as a voltage, v and a current, i have the same frequency ƒ
in Hertz. As the frequency of the two quantities is the same the angular velocity, ω must also be the same. So at
any instant in time we can say that the phase of voltage, v will be the same as the phase of the current, i.

Then the angle of rotation within a particular time period will always be the same and the phase difference
between the two quantities of v and i will therefore be zero and Φ = 0. As the frequency of the voltage, v and the
current, i are the same they must both reach their maximum positive, negative and zero values during one
complete cycle at the same time (although their amplitudes may be different). Then the two alternating quantities,
v and i are said to be “in-phase”.

Two Sinusoidal Waveforms – “in-phase”

Now lets consider that the voltage, v and the current, i have a phase difference between themselves of 30o, so (Φ
= 30o or π/6 radians). As both alternating quantities rotate at the same speed, i.e. they have the same frequency,
this phase difference will remain constant for all instants in time, then the phase difference of 30o between the
two quantities is represented by phi, Φ as shown below.

Phase Difference of a Sinusoidal Waveform

The voltage waveform above starts at zero along the horizontal reference axis, but at that same instant of time the
current waveform is still negative in value and does not cross this reference axis until 30o later. Then there exists a
difference in the phases between the two waveforms as the current cross the horizontal reference axis reaching
its maximum peak and zero values after the voltage waveform.

As the two waveforms are no longer “in-phase”, they must therefore be “out-of-phase” by an amount determined
by phi, Φ and in our example this is 30o. So we can say that the two waveforms are now 30o out-of phase. The
current waveform can also be said to be “lagging” behind the voltage waveform by the phase angle, Φ. Then in our
example above the two waveforms have a Lagging Phase Difference so the expression for both the voltage and
current above will be given as.

Where current, i “lags” voltage, v by phase angle Φ

Likewise, if the current, i has a positive value and crosses the reference axis reaching its maximum peak and zero
values at some time before the voltage, v then the current waveform will be “leading” the voltage by some phase
angle. Then the two waveforms are said to have a Leading Phase Difference and the expression for both the
voltage and the current will be.

Where current, i “leads” the voltage v by phase angle Φ

The phase angle of a sine wave can be used to describe the relationship of one sine wave to another by using the
terms “Leading” and “Lagging” to indicate the relationship between two sinusoidal waveforms of the same
frequency, plotted onto the same reference axis. In our example above the two waveforms are out-of-phase by 30o.
So we can correctly say that i lags v or we can say that v leads i by 30o depending upon which one we choose as our
reference.

The relationship between the two waveforms and the resulting phase angle can be measured anywhere along the
horizontal zero axis through which each waveform passes with the “same slope” direction either positive or
negative.

In AC power circuits this ability to describe the relationship between a voltage and a current sine wave within the
same circuit is very important and forms the bases of AC circuit analysis.

The Cosine Waveform

So we now know that if a waveform is “shifted” to the right or left of 0o when compared to another sine wave the
expression for this waveform becomes Am sin(ωt ± Φ). But if the waveform crosses the horizontal zero axis with a
positive going slope 90o or π/2 radians before the reference waveform, the waveform is called a Cosine
Waveform and the expression becomes.

Cosine Expression

The Cosine Wave, simply called “cos”, is as important as the sine wave in electrical engineering. The cosine wave
has the same shape as its sine wave counterpart that is it is a sinusoidal function, but is shifted by +90o or one full
quarter of a period ahead of it.

Difference between a Sine wave and a Cosine wave

Alternatively, we can also say that a sine wave is a cosine wave that has been shifted in the other direction by -90o.
Either way when dealing with sine waves or cosine waves with an angle the following rules will always apply.

Sine and Cosine Wave Relationships

When comparing two sinusoidal waveforms it more common to express their relationship as either a sine or cosine
with positive going amplitudes and this is achieved using the following mathematical identities.
 By using these relationships above we can convert any sinusoidal waveform with or without an angular or phase
difference from either a sine wave into a cosine wave or vice versa.

In the next tutorial about Phasors we will use a graphical method of representing or comparing the phase
difference between two sinusoids by looking at the phasor representation of a single phase AC quantity along with
some phasor algebra relating to the mathematical addition of two or more phasors.

Previous Next
Sinusoidal Waveforms Phasor Diagrams and
Phasor Algebra

77 Comments

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badrudin
paper analysis caussus harmonic

Posted on December 05th 2024 | 8:59 am  Reply

Haroon
Can you give me noodle analysis questions with ac circuit

Posted on June 26th 2024 | 4:43 pm  Reply

NAGESH PANDE
I wish to parallel R & Y phases for inter-phase power flow using phase shifting techniques
kindly let me know how it can be achieved for Railway traction 25 kV system

Posted on December 14th 2023 | 3:47 pm  Reply

Fidelia
How do I change to a different phase when my current is low

Posted on June 02nd 2023 | 3:52 am  Reply

T.S.Ganesh
Usually there is a Box with three knobs for three phases. If one phase doesn’t work the knob of the non-working phase is shifted
to one of the remaining two working one’s

Posted on July 29th 2023 | 7:49 am  Reply

Jay
Now that’s what we call a tutorial!!!The best, I gv u that!!!

Wonderful!!

Posted on May 28th 2023 | 12:35 pm  Reply

WILFRED CHEWE
VERY GOOD TUTORIALS AND WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE.

Posted on March 11th 2023 | 1:46 pm  Reply

nazari
hello
please show a circuit with phase diffrence between current and voltage with oscilosecope

Posted on December 06th 2022 | 4:50 pm  Reply

T.S.Ganesh
Your Tutorials are Lucid.

Posted on October 21st 2022 | 11:09 am  Reply

Ali Khaled
In the beginning of the lesson in the negative slope. How it is going to make a clockwise rotation

Posted on July 23rd 2022 | 2:53 am  Reply

Anuja bagul
9689388766

Posted on April 17th 2022 | 3:47 am  Reply

Maria
Theta or Phi? Phasor lagging and leading equations seem wrong. Theta is wt. If it is wt-theta then it must be ending in zero. Leaving mit with
?????
Please comment.

Posted on August 15th 2021 | 9:45 am  Reply

Wayne Storr
Thanks

Posted on August 16th 2021 | 6:38 am  Reply

Nduka ebuka
This article or whatever I may call it is very resourceful.

Posted on June 14th 2021 | 3:09 pm  Reply

Justin
You completely lost me at “When comparing two sinusoidal waveforms it more common to express their relationship as either a sine or
cosine with positive going amplitudes and this is achieved using the following mathematical identities.”

Posted on March 26th 2021 | 3:41 pm  Reply

lindo
none

Posted on March 22nd 2021 | 2:06 am  Reply

Alejandro Nava
You have an error in the last image, when you said “±sin(ωt) = cos(ωt ± 90°)”, but that’s wrong. As correctly shown in the second last image, it
should be “±sin(ωt) = cos(ωt ∓ 90°)”. You should fix it.

Posted on March 10th 2021 | 6:51 pm  Reply

Emmanuel
Good information

Posted on March 04th 2021 | 4:20 pm  Reply

Anup Sadhu
what is the phase difference and phasor diagram of v = vmcos (wt-30⁰) and i = imsin (wt+60⁰)

Posted on February 26th 2021 | 7:16 am  Reply

James
Sample of phase difference between current and voltage

Posted on February 15th 2021 | 4:42 am  Reply

Len
I need a circuit for our history of Recorded Sound museum.. This concerns a pilot color system where I want to shift 3.58 Mhz 270 degrees. I
couldn’t find anything except phase shift oscillators or low frequency circuits (audio band). The original circuit, employed a rotory switch
with four possible selections: “0” shift, 90 180 270 degrees. I wanted one knob. For color hue.
Any clues?

Posted on January 25th 2021 | 4:30 am  Reply

More

Anas aamer
Where the wave move when the phase angle is positive or negative

Posted on October 06th 2020 | 7:31 pm  Reply

View More

Read more Tutorials inAC Circuits

1. AC Waveform and AC Circuit Theory

2. Sinusoidal Waveforms
3. Phase Difference and Phase Shift

4. Phasor Diagrams and Phasor Algebra

5. Complex Numbers and Phasors

6. AC Resistance and Impedance

7. AC Inductance and Inductive Reactance
8. AC Capacitance and Capacitive Reactance

9. Series RLC Circuit Analysis

10. Parallel RLC Circuit Analysis

11. Series Resonance Circuit

12. Parallel Resonance Circuit
13. RMS Voltage Tutorial

14. Average Voltage Tutorial

15. Reactive Power

16. Harmonics
17. Passive Components in AC Circuits
18. Power in AC Circuits

19. Power Triangle and Power Factor

20. Power Factor Correction

21. Impedance and Complex Impedance

22. Form Factor of a Waveform
23. Crest Factor of a Waveform

24. Sine Wave

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