Phase Angle Explained: What is It?

AI Thread Summary
Phase angle is a measure of the position of a particle in simple harmonic motion (SHM) relative to its mean position. It is defined as the angle made by the radius vector of a circle with a horizontal axis, where the projection of this vector corresponds to the particle's displacement. A phase angle of 0 indicates the particle is at its maximum displacement, while a phase angle of 45° (or π/4) indicates the particle is at a specific point in its oscillation. Understanding phase angle helps in analyzing the motion and position of oscillating particles. This concept is essential for grasping the dynamics of oscillatory systems.
Asif Munawar
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Can anyone tell me what is the phase angle and what is the concept behind it?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Have you tried google?
 
Phase describes how are particles oscillating.
Lets simplify this with a particular case in which a particle is describing SHM about a horizontal line. It will oscillate with certain amplitude (say A) . At any instant it will have displaced certain distance from its mean position (say x; -A ≤ x ≤ A) . Now consider a circle of radius 'A' units. The angle that the radius vector of the circle makes with horizontal axis such that the projection of the radius vector on the horizontal axis is equal to the horizontal displacement of particle is called the phase angle (of the particle at that instant of time).

So if phase angle is 0 at any instant then it says particle is at extreme position at that instant
Similarly
If phase angle is quarter of ∏ ie 45° it says particle is at x= A/√2.

So phase angle describes where is the particle and how is it moving at any instant.

Hope you got something out of it.
 
Thread 'Gauss' law seems to imply instantaneous electric field'

Thread 'Gauss' law seems to imply instantaneous electric field'

Imagine a charged sphere at the origin connected through an open switch to a vertical grounded wire. We wish to find an expression for the horizontal component of the electric field at a distance ##\mathbf{r}## from the sphere as it discharges. By using the Lorenz gauge condition: $$\nabla \cdot \mathbf{A} + \frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial \phi}{\partial t}=0\tag{1}$$ we find the following retarded solutions to the Maxwell equations If we assume that...
View full post »

Thread 'Do electron density waves accompany EM waves in coaxial cables?'

Maxwell’s equations imply the following wave equation for the electric field $$\nabla^2\mathbf{E}-\frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial^2\mathbf{E}}{\partial t^2} = \frac{1}{\varepsilon_0}\nabla\rho+\mu_0\frac{\partial\mathbf J}{\partial t}.\tag{1}$$ I wonder if eqn.##(1)## can be split into the following transverse part $$\nabla^2\mathbf{E}_T-\frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial^2\mathbf{E}_T}{\partial t^2} = \mu_0\frac{\partial\mathbf{J}_T}{\partial t}\tag{2}$$ and longitudinal part...
View full post »

Similar threads

B Shifting of a Cosine Curve with negative phase angle values
Replies
9
Views
4K
B Understanding Phase Terminology in Wave Functions
Replies
9
Views
2K
I How Can Two Waves with Different Amplitudes Be in Phase?
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Phase angle of a damped driven harmonic oscillation
Replies
12
Views
9K
I Waves and phase shifts (attempting to learn physics)
Replies
2
Views
1K
Elevation angle of a phased array antenna
Replies
6
Views
1K
I Rosetta orbits and phase space
Replies
20
Views
2K
I EM wave propagation: respective phase of E and M field
Replies
6
Views
2K
B Basic Angle Explanation for Statics
Replies
6
Views
2K
Rearrange formula and work out phase angle
Replies
6
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top