Hello Forum,
I need a clarification about the different behavior of an inductor and a capacitor. A capacitor is a passive component that exhibits significant capacitance C. An inductor is a passive component that exhibits significant inductance L.
Inductance is defined as the property of a circuit to oppose changes in current. Capacitance is the property of a circuit to oppose changes in voltage.
Inductor: when a time-change in the main current takes place, a counter voltage develops across the inductor. This counter voltage causes an opposing current that reduces the main current (only during the main current time change). Capacitor: the main current (supplied by the voltage source) is initially large and as the capacitor gets progressively charged the main current is exponentially reduced because of the counter voltage on the capacitor. When the main current is reduced the counter voltage on the capacitor wants to keep it going and not let it die down...
So an inductor and a capacitor do have a different behavior but both generate a counter voltage which produces an opposing current limiting the main current in the circuit. So why do we say that inductance opposes changes in current and capacitance opposes changes in voltage when both produce counter voltages that in different ways oppose the main current from the voltage supply? For the capacitor, changes in voltage across which component? Not the capacitor voltage...I guess the intended load
Thanks,
Antennaboy
I need a clarification about the different behavior of an inductor and a capacitor. A capacitor is a passive component that exhibits significant capacitance C. An inductor is a passive component that exhibits significant inductance L.
Inductance is defined as the property of a circuit to oppose changes in current. Capacitance is the property of a circuit to oppose changes in voltage.
Inductor: when a time-change in the main current takes place, a counter voltage develops across the inductor. This counter voltage causes an opposing current that reduces the main current (only during the main current time change). Capacitor: the main current (supplied by the voltage source) is initially large and as the capacitor gets progressively charged the main current is exponentially reduced because of the counter voltage on the capacitor. When the main current is reduced the counter voltage on the capacitor wants to keep it going and not let it die down...
So an inductor and a capacitor do have a different behavior but both generate a counter voltage which produces an opposing current limiting the main current in the circuit. So why do we say that inductance opposes changes in current and capacitance opposes changes in voltage when both produce counter voltages that in different ways oppose the main current from the voltage supply? For the capacitor, changes in voltage across which component? Not the capacitor voltage...I guess the intended load
Thanks,
Antennaboy