Physical Meaning of Leading/Lagging Voltage/Current

[psparky]

Thanks for the additional info VK6kro...cool info and graph.

Thanks Jim for the water analogy...Sophie love those!

I've read all the info in this thread. Will all the info available...someone reading this thread should have no further questions on caps and inductors and the like.

If you do still have questions...keep asking. And I know 50% of you guys reading this still have questions!

Ask away! Until you fail...you cannot succeed.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Here is where analogies can let you down. A capacitor is easy to model with a tank of water. Give us a water analogy for an inductor that makes easy sense without using the same Maths as you would need to use for the real thing.

 

[jim hardy]

The flyback boost converter is analogous to the hydraulic ram patented in 1809

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_ram

but one should really dig in and learn the electrical math.
1/2 MV^2 is for mass
1/2 LI^2 is for inductance
1/2 CV^2 is for capacitance
1/2 KX^2 is for a spring
1/2 Iω^2 is for a flywheel
Mother Nature is consistent.

if you can do one you can do them all.

old jim

 

[eemichael83]

There is a common mnemonic for this: ELI the ICE man

ELI - Voltage(E) leads Current(I) in an Inductor(L). The reason why is quite simple, an inductor resists a change in current. By the way, "E" used to be a more common abbreviation than V, V being short for Voltage but E being short for Electromotive force.

ICE - Current(I) leads Voltage(E) in a Capacitor(C). And this is because a Capacitor resists a change in voltage.