Thursday, April 17, 2008

Inductor

An inductor is a passive electrical device working in electrical circuits for its property of inductance. Inductance is an consequence which results from the magnetic field that forms around a current carrying conductor. Electrical current through the conductor creates a magnetic flux relative to the current. A change in this current creates a change in magnetic flux that, in turn, generates an electromotive force that acts to oppose this change in current. Inductance is a calculate of the generated emf for a unit modify in current. An inductor with an inductance of 1 henry produces an emf of 1 V when the current through the inductor changes at the rate of 1 ampere per second. The number of turns, the area of each loop/turn, and what it is wrapped around influence the inductance.

An inductor opposes changes in the current. An ideal inductor would offer no resistance to a constant direct current, however, only superconducting inductors have truly zero electrical resistance. Inductors are used expansively in analog circuits and signal processing.