/ɪnˈdʌktər/
noun … “Component that stores energy in a magnetic field.”
Inductor is a passive electronic component that resists changes in current by storing energy in a magnetic field created around a coil of wire. Inductors are widely used in filtering, energy storage, tuning circuits, and electromagnetic interference suppression. They work in tandem with capacitors and resistors to form fundamental building blocks of analog circuits.
Key characteristics of Inductor include:
- Inductance: measured in henries (H), representing the ability to store magnetic energy per unit current.
- Current response: opposes changes in current according to V = L × (dI/dt).
- Core material: air, ferrite, or iron cores influence efficiency and magnetic properties.
- Applications: filters, transformers, chokes, energy storage in switching regulators, and oscillators.
- Series and parallel behavior: determines total inductance in circuits.
Workflow example: Current change in an inductor:
inductor = Inductor(L=0.01) -- 10 mH
di_dt = 5 -- rate of current change in A/s
voltage = inductor.L * di_dt
print(voltage) -- 0.05 V
Here, the inductor generates a voltage opposing the change in current, stabilizing the circuit.
Conceptually, an Inductor is like a flywheel for electric current: it resists sudden changes and smooths out fluctuations.
See Capacitor, Resistor, Signal Processing, AC, Power Supply.