Inductive Reactance

The capacitors and inductors are two reactive components. This implies that they react, or oppose each other, changes in electrical variables.

A capacitor opposes, for example, or reacts, to any change in voltage level. Inductors, on other hand, “react” to changes in current flow. This reactive effect has a deep relationship with the frequency. When frequency of the applied voltage to an inductor is enhanced, the inductor’s opposition to AC flow of current increases. This all happens because the energy capable of being stored in the electromagnetic field of inductor (its inductance value) stays constant, but the time period of the applied AC-voltage gets decreases. when the AC time period is decreased, few energy is required from the inductor’s electromagnetic field to oppose the voltage alternations. Take this example, when it would take 10 times the energy to oppose 100 volts for 10 seconds than it would to oppose the same voltage for 1 second.

The same rule applies with an increase in the frequency amd decrease in time period of the applied AC. We can state this basic principle by saying that the reactance of an inductor increases with an increase in frequency. This “frequency-dependent” opposition to AC flow of current through an inductor is called inductive reactance. The inductive reactance (XL), as are impedance (Z) and resistance (R), is measured in terms of ohms. The equation for calculating the value inductive reactance is, or formula of inductive reactance is

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Capacitive Reactance

The Capacitors, like inductors, have a feature of frequency-dependent opposition to AC current flow called capacitive reactance (XC). When we apply AC voltage to a capacitor, it will charge and discharge in an effort to maintain a constant level of voltage. When frequency of the applied voltage to a capacitor is increased, capacitor’s opposition to AC current flow decreases. This is the main reason as to the amount of energy capable of being stored in the capacitor’s electrostatic field (it`s capacitance value) stays constant, but at the same moment the time period of the applied AC voltage decreases. it becomes pretty easy for the capacitor to fully absorb the charge of each half-cycle, as the AC time period decreases. In other point of view, it would require 10 times the capacity for a capacitor to charge for 10 milliseconds than it would for one millisecond. Therefore, the capacitive reactance decreases just when the frequency of an applied-voltage increases. Below is the equation for finding value capacitive reactance (X_c)

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