Power factor represents the phase shift between ______ and ______.

Power factor represents the phase shift between ______ and ______.

• A. Voltage and Current
• B. Current and Resistance
• C. Voltage and Power
• D. Current and Time

Answer: (A)

Power factor is about how the voltage and current waveforms line up in an AC circuit. It is defined as the cosine of the phase angle between voltage and current. When voltage and current rise and fall together (in phase), the phase angle is zero and the power factor is one, meaning all the power drawn does real work. If the current lags behind the voltage (inductive load) or leads the voltage (capacitive load), that phase angle is nonzero and the power factor drops below one, indicating reactive power is present. The phase relationship isn’t about current and resistance, nor about voltage and power, or current and time in this context. So the phase shift is between voltage and current.

Power factor is about how the voltage and current waveforms line up in an AC circuit. It is defined as the cosine of the phase angle between voltage and current. When voltage and current rise and fall together (in phase), the phase angle is zero and the power factor is one, meaning all the power drawn does real work. If the current lags behind the voltage (inductive load) or leads the voltage (capacitive load), that phase angle is nonzero and the power factor drops below one, indicating reactive power is present. The phase relationship isn’t about current and resistance, nor about voltage and power, or current and time in this context. So the phase shift is between voltage and current.