Red Seal Electrician Practice
AC theoryQuestion 940 of 1506

What is the phase angle of current compared with the source voltage in a series circuit with both resistance and inductive reactance?

  1. Current leads voltage by less than 90 degrees.
  2. Current lags voltage by less than 90 degrees.
  3. Current lags voltage by exactly 90 degrees.
  4. Current is in phase with voltage.
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Correct answer: Current lags voltage by less than 90 degrees.

The resistor pulls the angle toward zero, and the inductor pulls toward 90 degrees of lag.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits II: AC (Kuphaldt), 3.3: Series Resistor-Inductor Circuits

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Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026