 Alternating current motors function based upon the principle of having polarities within a rotating magnetic field. Inside an AC motor are housed stationary electromagnetic coils or stators positioned around a movable magnet called a rotor. This illustration of a two-phase motor has a pair of stators connected to one sinusoidal AC input, referred to as phase 1, and a pair of stators connected to a second sinusoidal AC input, referred to as phase 2. The two sinusoidal waves are 90 degrees out of phase. This phase discrepancy is the key to creating rotation of the rotor. Let's follow the amount of current applied to the phase 1 and phase 2 stators at various time intervals along with their respective sine waves. The 90 degree offset between the two sine waves causes the polarity of the stator pairs to change in a coordinated fashion to smoothly turn the magnetic rotor. At time zero, phase 1 produces maximum vertical magnetic flux and the rotor aligns itself vertically with the stator poles. Because phase 2 provides no current flow to the stators, there is no horizontal pole on the rotor. At time 1, phase 1 and phase 2 have equal amounts of current flow which creates a flux between the adjacent poles. This flux causes the rotor to turn 45 degrees to the left. At time 2, phase 1 reaches zero current flow while phase 2 reaches maximum current flow. This causes the rotor to turn 45 degrees counterclockwise to align itself with the horizontal poles. At time 3, phase 2 has diminished current flow while current flow through the vertical rotor coils increases and reverses direction. This causes the rotor to move another 45 degrees to the left. As the two sine waves continue to induce current 90 degrees out of phase, the rotor will spin and the motor will run, effectively transforming electrical into mechanical energy. In a three phase motor more commonly used in modern applications, the alternating current inputs are displaced in time by 120 degrees rather than the 90 degrees of displacement found in the operation of a two phase motor.