What is the phase relationship between current and voltage for reactive power?

Reactive power, also known as wattless power, occurs when energy is alternately stored and released by reactive components like inductors and capacitors. In a purely reactive circuit, no actual work is done or dissipated as heat because the power continually flows back and forth between the source and the reactive component. This back-and-forth energy exchange happens precisely because the current and voltage are exactly 90 degrees out of phase. For example, in a perfect inductor, voltage leads current by 90 degrees, while in a perfect capacitor, current leads voltage by 90 degrees. Distractors like 'in phase' describe true power in resistive circuits where energy is actually consumed. Answers like '45 degrees' or simply 'out of phase' are either incorrect or not specific enough to describe purely reactive power.