Current peak delay after voltage peak

AI Thread Summary
When a square wave voltage is applied to a circuit, there is a delay in the electrical current due to the circuit's capacitive and inductive components. This delay, often referred to as phase angle, is influenced by factors like wire diameter and stray capacitance, which can vary based on conductor dimensions and proximity to other conductors. Higher voltage levels do not affect delay in wiring, but they can influence delay in semiconductor devices. Additionally, the delay is present for all changing signals, although it is most noticeable with square or rectangular waves. Understanding these concepts is crucial for analyzing circuit behavior and performance.
anorred
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
Hello. So when you apply a square wave of voltage to a circuit, there is a slight delay for the electrical current. I'm trying to understand this concept better. I'd like to know if this delay is shorter with wire diameter.. if higher voltage decreases the delay time.. etc. Is there a name for this concept so I can read about it? Thank you.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
all circuits have capacitive and inductive components to them. Capacitors delay changes in voltage until energy is stored or released in them in the form of an electric field. Inductors delay changes in current by storing energy in a magnetic field. The delay is usually called the phase angle when you have continuously changing signal.

If you are dealing with digital electronics, you are also dealing with propagation delay which includes some pretty complex quantum stuff. Even more significant, you have to give the logic circuits time to stabilize.
 
anorred said:
Hello. So when you apply a square wave of voltage to a circuit, there is a slight delay for the electrical current. I'm trying to understand this concept better. I'd like to know if this delay is shorter with wire diameter.. if higher voltage decreases the delay time.. etc. Is there a name for this concept so I can read about it? Thank you.
All devices and wiring have stray capacitance along the way, and there is an inevitable delay while this cpacitance is being charged. The capacitance can be dependant upon dimensions of the conductor, and proximity to other conductors. It is not dependent on voltage level in wiring, etc., but inside semiconductor devices it certainly can be voltage dependent.

The delay is present for all changing signals, not just squarewaves, though it is more obvious and readily demonstrated by using squarewaves or rectangular waves.

MrSparkle illuminated the topic well.
 
While I was rolling out a shielded cable, a though came to my mind - what happens to the current flow in the cable if there came a short between the wire and the shield in both ends of the cable? For simplicity, lets assume a 1-wire copper wire wrapped in an aluminum shield. The wire and the shield has the same cross section area. There are insulating material between them, and in both ends there is a short between them. My first thought, the total resistance of the cable would be reduced...
Hey guys. I have a question related to electricity and alternating current. Say an alien fictional society developed electricity, and settled on a standard like 73V AC current at 46 Hz. How would appliances be designed, and what impact would the lower frequency and voltage have on transformers, wiring, TVs, computers, LEDs, motors, and heating, assuming the laws of physics and technology are the same as on Earth?
I used to be an HVAC technician. One time I had a service call in which there was no power to the thermostat. The thermostat did not have power because the fuse in the air handler was blown. The fuse in the air handler was blown because there was a low voltage short. The rubber coating on one of the thermostat wires was chewed off by a rodent. The exposed metal in the thermostat wire was touching the metal cabinet of the air handler. This was a low voltage short. This low voltage...
Back
Top