IEC Second Year Lesson 202 Practice Test

In an RLC circuit, inductance (measured in henries) is a property of the inductor itself and does not change with frequency. However, the concept that relates frequency to the behavior of inductors is inductive reactance, which is the opposition that an inductor presents to alternating current (AC) due to its inductance.

Inductive reactance is determined by the formula \(X_L = 2\pi f L\), where \(X_L\) is the inductive reactance, \(f\) is the frequency, and \(L\) is the inductance. As frequency increases, the term \(2\pi f\) increases, leading to a higher value of \(X_L\). This means that at higher frequencies, the inductive reactance becomes larger, which results in the inductor opposing the flow of current more profoundly.

Understanding this relationship is crucial for analyzing RLC circuits in different frequency ranges. As the frequency rises, the inductor behaves more like a significant resistance to the alternating current, impacting how the entire circuit functions, particularly in terms of impedance and circuit resonance.