In a capacitive circuit, is the current leading or lagging?

In a capacitive circuit, the current is leading the voltage. This occurs because capacitors store energy in the form of an electric field when a voltage is applied. As the voltage across a capacitor starts to rise, the current reaches its peak before the voltage does since it takes time for the capacitor to charge. This results in the current waveform reaching its maximum value prior to the voltage waveform, demonstrating that current leads voltage in a capacitive circuit.

In contrast, in resistive circuits, the current and voltage are in phase, meaning they reach their maximum values at the same time, which is not the case in a capacitive circuit. Other options that suggest lagging or being equal do not correctly describe the phase relationship in a capacitive circuit. Thus, the current leading the voltage is the defining characteristic of capacitive behavior.