Which electrical characteristic defines opposition to AC flow produced by coils and capacitors?

Which electrical characteristic defines opposition to AC flow produced by coils and capacitors?

• A. Resistance
• B. Inductance
• C. Impedance
• D. Reactance

Answer: (D)

In AC circuits, opposition to current comes in two parts: resistance and reactance. The term that describes the opposition created specifically by energy-storing elements like coils (inductors) and capacitors is reactance. Inductive reactance grows with frequency (X_L = 2πfL), while capacitive reactance falls as frequency rises (X_C = 1/(2πfC)). The overall opposition to AC in a circuit is impedance, which combines resistance (the real part) and reactance (the imaginary part). Since the question focuses on the opposition produced by coils and capacitors, reactance is the correct concept.

In AC circuits, opposition to current comes in two parts: resistance and reactance. The term that describes the opposition created specifically by energy-storing elements like coils (inductors) and capacitors is reactance. Inductive reactance grows with frequency (X_L = 2πfL), while capacitive reactance falls as frequency rises (X_C = 1/(2πfC)). The overall opposition to AC in a circuit is impedance, which combines resistance (the real part) and reactance (the imaginary part). Since the question focuses on the opposition produced by coils and capacitors, reactance is the correct concept.