Phase Shift
In electrical engineering, it is primarily the phase shift between current and voltage that is given. It is caused by inductive and capacitive components of the consumer and the resulting deviation of the apparent power from the active power, thus generating reactive power.
The phase shift is indicated by the angle φ. It is also known under the terms phase position or phase difference and is present when two alternating quantities of the same frequency reach their zero values and maxima at different times.