What is an Inductor?

Inductor is a passive electronic component which stores energy in the form of a magnetic field. In simple words, an inductor consists of just a wire loop or coil that is used to control electric spikes by temporarily storing energy and then releasing it back into the circuit through an electromagnetic field.

Inductance is directly proportional to the number of turns in the coil. It also depends on other things such as the radius of the coil and the type of material around which the coil is wound.

Inductor is made of a wire whose property is inductance, i.e. it opposes the flow of current. The inductance of the wire increases when the number of turns is increased. Inductance is represented by the alphabet ‘L’ and it is measured in Henry. The formula of Inductance can be given by the ratio of flux and the current in the circuit. It is represented as:

L = Φ/I

where,

• L is Inductance
• Φ is Flux
• I is Current

Inductor Unit

Unit of inductance is 1 henry (H). The unit is symbolized by the letter H. An inductor be a passive electronic component that is more often used to gain energy in form of magnetic field. This is a measure of amount of energy stored in an inductor, which depends on the amount of inductance.

Inductor Symbol

In circuit diagrams, an inductor is represented by a coil or loops. It typically looks like a series of several closely spaced loops or a coil of wire, often with two terminals, as shown below:

The ends of the symbol normally indicate the terminals where an inductor can be connected to a circuit.

Inductor Formula

The voltage (V) across an inductor is directly proportional to the rate of change of current (I) flowing through it:

V(t) = L dI(t)/dt

Where:

• V(t) is the inductive voltage at time t
• L is the inductor inductance
• dI(t)/dt denotes the speed of change of current over time ‘t’

Inductor Reactance

Inductor reactance refers to the way an inductor behaves in AC circuits. Reactance is a characteristic measure of the opposition that an inductor gives to the changing flow of current.

The reactance X L of an inductor is given by the following formula:

X_L = 2πfL

Where,

• X_L is the inductive reactance (in ohms, Ω).
• f is the frequency of an AC signal measured in hertz, Hz.
• L is the inductance of inductor.

Inductors are electrical components that create a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through them. Inductors are most commonly coil-like structures in electronic circuits that are mostly used to reduce or control electrical spikes in a circuit. There are various types of inductors including, Iron Core and Air Core Inductors. Its main functions include controlling signals and storing energy.

In this article, we will study Inductors, Types of Inductors, Functions, and Construction of Inductors, Energy stored in Inductors along with the Inductors in parallel and series, and a brief difference between inductors and capacitors.