If a sine wave starts 30 electrical degrees after another, what is it called?

If a sine wave starts 30 electrical degrees after another, what is it called?

• A. Leading
• B. Lagging
• C. Phase angle
• D. Phase shift

Answer: (B)

When comparing two sine waves, the relative timing is described by a phase difference. If one wave starts after the other, it is behind in time and is said to be lagging. So a 30 electrical degree delay means the second wave lags by 30 degrees. Leading would mean starting before the reference, which isn’t the case here. Phase shift is a general way to describe an offset, but the directional term that fits this situation is lagging. Phase angle is the numeric measure of the offset for a given waveform, not the explicit lead/lag relationship.

When comparing two sine waves, the relative timing is described by a phase difference. If one wave starts after the other, it is behind in time and is said to be lagging. So a 30 electrical degree delay means the second wave lags by 30 degrees.

Leading would mean starting before the reference, which isn’t the case here. Phase shift is a general way to describe an offset, but the directional term that fits this situation is lagging. Phase angle is the numeric measure of the offset for a given waveform, not the explicit lead/lag relationship.