Ham Amateur Radio Technician Practice Exam

Which component primarily determines the inductive reactance in a circuit?

1. Resistance

2. Capacitance

3. Inductance

4. Voltage

The correct answer is: Inductance

Inductive reactance is directly related to the inductance of a component in a circuit, which is why the correct answer is inductance. Inductive reactance is a measure of how much a coil or inductor resists the flow of alternating current (AC) due to its inductance. It is calculated using the formula \( X_L = 2\pi f L \), where \( X_L \) is the inductive reactance, \( f \) is the frequency of the AC signal, and \( L \) is the inductance measured in henries. When the frequency increases, the inductive reactance also increases, meaning inductors tend to impede AC flow more at higher frequencies. This is crucial in various applications, such as filtering, tuning circuits, and in transformers where controlling induction is fundamental. Resistance, capacitance, and voltage do not determine inductive reactance. Resistance contributes to the total opposition to current flow but does not influence how inductors behave in AC circuits. Capacitance involves the storage of electric charge and determines capacitive reactance, which is fundamentally different from inductive reactance. Voltage is a measure of electric potential and does not affect how inductance contributes to reactance. Thus, induct