Who coined the term inductance and when?
Oliver Heaviside coined the term inductance in May 1884 as a convenient way to refer to the coefficient of self-induction.
Questions about Inductance
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is inductance in electrical conductors?
Inductance is the tendency of an electrical conductor to oppose a change in the electric current flowing through it. A changing current produces a changing magnetic field, which induces a voltage that opposes the change, as described by Lenz's law.
What is the SI unit of inductance?
The SI unit of inductance is the henry, abbreviated H. One henry is the amount of inductance that causes a voltage of one volt when the current changes at a rate of one ampere per second. It is named for Joseph Henry, who discovered inductance independently of Faraday.
Who discovered electromagnetic induction?
Michael Faraday first described electromagnetic induction in 1831. He wrapped two wires around opposite sides of an iron ring and observed a transient current in the second coil each time a battery was connected to or disconnected from the first.
How does a magnetic core affect the inductance of a coil?
A magnetic core of ferromagnetic material placed in the center of a coil can increase its inductance by thousands of times. The coil's field magnetizes the core and aligns its magnetic domains, and the core's field adds to the coil's, increasing the flux through the coil.
What is mutual inductance and how do transformers use it?
Mutual inductance is the ratio of the voltage induced in one coil to the rate of change of current in a neighboring coil, given the symbol M. It is the principle behind transformers, where a changing current in one winding induces a voltage in another.
How does inductive reactance change with frequency?
Inductive reactance increases proportionally with frequency, so an inductor conducts less current for a given applied AC voltage as frequency rises. In an ideal inductor the current lags the voltage by 90 degrees.