In an AC circuit, if a conductor is wound into a coil, what is the term for the EMF that opposes the supply voltage?

In an AC circuit, if a conductor is wound into a coil, what is the term for the EMF that opposes the supply voltage?

• A. Capacitive reactance
• B. Active resistance
• C. Ohmic resistance
• D. Inductive reactance

Answer: (D)

In an AC circuit, when a conductor is wound into a coil, it creates inductance, which is a property that causes the coil to oppose changes in current. This opposing force is known as inductive reactance. It is a measure of the coil's ability to resist the flow of alternating current due to the induced electromotive force (EMF) generated as the magnetic field around the coil changes. Inductive reactance arises from the relationship between the frequency of the AC supply and the inductance of the coil. The higher the frequency or the greater the inductance, the more the coil will oppose the alternating current. This opposition effectively works against the supply voltage, leading to a phase shift between the voltage and current in the circuit, which is characteristic of inductive loads. In contrast, other terms such as capacitive reactance refer to the opposition faced by capacitors in AC circuits, active resistance pertains to the energy loss as heat in resistive components, and ohmic resistance is the resistance encountered in a purely resistive circuit without any phase shift. Thus, inductive reactance is specifically the term that describes the opposition to the supply voltage due to the coil's properties in an AC circuit.

In an AC circuit, when a conductor is wound into a coil, it creates inductance, which is a property that causes the coil to oppose changes in current. This opposing force is known as inductive reactance. It is a measure of the coil's ability to resist the flow of alternating current due to the induced electromotive force (EMF) generated as the magnetic field around the coil changes.

Inductive reactance arises from the relationship between the frequency of the AC supply and the inductance of the coil. The higher the frequency or the greater the inductance, the more the coil will oppose the alternating current. This opposition effectively works against the supply voltage, leading to a phase shift between the voltage and current in the circuit, which is characteristic of inductive loads.

In contrast, other terms such as capacitive reactance refer to the opposition faced by capacitors in AC circuits, active resistance pertains to the energy loss as heat in resistive components, and ohmic resistance is the resistance encountered in a purely resistive circuit without any phase shift. Thus, inductive reactance is specifically the term that describes the opposition to the supply voltage due to the coil's properties in an AC circuit.