Q.A light bulb and an open coil inductor are connected to an ac source through a key as shown in Fig. 7.9.
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Inductive Reactance Change
Inductive Reactance Change – A First Look
Imagine you're pushing a child on a swing. If you push at just the right moment — when the swing is coming back toward you — each push adds energy and the swing goes higher. But if you push at random moments, sometimes you push against the swing's motion, and it barely moves. The swing "resists" being pushed at the wrong time.
An inductor in an AC circuit behaves exactly like that swing. It doesn't resist current the way a resistor does (by turning energy into heat). Instead, it resists changes in current — and the faster the current tries to change, the more the inductor pushes back.
The Core Intuition
An inductor is just a coil of wire. When current flows through it, it creates a magnetic field. If the current tries to change — say, increase or decrease — the magnetic field changes too. That changing field induces a voltage in the coil that opposes the change in current. This is Lenz's law in action: the induced voltage always fights the change that caused it.
So the inductor acts like a kind of "inertia" for current. The more rapidly the current tries to change, the stronger the opposition. In a DC circuit, once the current settles to a steady value, the inductor stops opposing — it becomes just a wire. But in an AC circuit, the current is always changing direction, so the inductor is always fighting.
The Precise Statement
Inductive reactance (XL) is the opposition an inductor offers to alternating current. It depends on two things:
- The inductance L of the coil (measured in henries, H) — bigger coil, more opposition.
- The frequency f of the AC supply (measured in hertz, Hz) — faster changes, more opposition.
The formula is:
XL=2πfL
Where:
- XL is in ohms (Ω)
- f is the frequency in Hz
- L is the inductance in H
Key point: Unlike resistance, which is constant for a given resistor, inductive reactance changes with frequency. Double the frequency, double the reactance. Halve the frequency, halve the reactance.
What "Inductive Reactance Change" Means
When we talk about "inductive reactance change," we mean: how XL varies when either the frequency or the inductance changes.
| Change | Effect on XL | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency increases | XL increases | Current changes faster → stronger opposition |
| Frequency decreases | XL decreases | Current changes slower → weaker opposition |
| Inductance increases | XL increases | More magnetic field → more opposition |
| Inductance decreases | XL decreases | Less magnetic field → less opposition |
A common mistake is to think inductive reactance behaves like resistance. It doesn't. Resistance dissipates energy as heat; reactance stores and releases energy in the magnetic field. Also, reactance depends on frequency — resistance usually doesn't.
A Simple Example …
Why this formula?
Inductive Reactance Change: Why the Formula Holds
Let's build this from first principles — understanding why inductive reactance behaves as it does, not just memorizing XL=2πfL.
1. The Core Idea: Opposition to Current Change
An inductor doesn't "resist" current like a resistor. Instead, it opposes changes in current due to self-induction.
- When current changes, the magnetic flux through the inductor changes.
- By Faraday's Law, a changing flux induces an emf (voltage) that opposes the change — this is Lenz's Law.
- The induced voltage is proportional to the rate of change of current:
vL=Ldtdi
Where:
- vL = induced voltage across inductor (V)
- L = inductance (henry, H)
- dtdi = rate of change of current (A/s)
2. Applying a Sinusoidal Current
In AC circuits, current is sinusoidal. Let:
i(t)=Imsin(ωt)
Where:
- Im = peak current (A)
- ω=2πf = angular frequency (rad/s)
- f = frequency (Hz)
Now compute the induced voltage:
vL=Ldtd[Imsin(ωt)]=L⋅Im⋅ωcos(ωt)
So:
vL=ωLImcos(ωt)
3. The Phase Shift: Voltage Leads Current
Notice:
- Current: sin(ωt)
- Voltage: cos(ωt)=sin(ωt+90∘)
Voltage leads current by 90∘ (or π/2 radians). This is a key property — the inductor causes a phase difference.
4. Defining Inductive Reactance
Reactance is the ratio of peak voltage to peak current (magnitude only, ignoring phase):
From above:
- Peak voltage: Vm=ωLIm
- Peak current: Im
Thus:
XL=ImVm=ωL
Since ω=2πf:
XL=2πfL
Where XL is in ohms (Ω).
5. Why It Changes with Frequency
The formula reveals the why:
- Higher frequency (f increases) → dtdi is larger for the same current amplitude → larger induced voltage → greater opposition → XL increases. …
The key idea is that inserting an iron rod increases the inductor's inductance L, which raises its inductive reactance XL=ωL.
- The bulb's brightness depends on the current through it. The current I=V/Z, where Z=R2+XL2 (the bulb's resistance R is fixed, and the coil's own resistance is negligible compared to its reactance).
- When the iron rod is inserted, the core's magnetic permeability μ increases sharply, so L increases. Since XL=2πfL, the reactance rises. …
Inserting an iron rod into the inductor increases its inductance, which raises the inductive reactance and reduces the current — so the bulb glows dimmer. The correct answer is (b) decreases.
Why this approach works — the concept first
The key idea here is that an inductor in an AC circuit opposes changes in current through a property called inductive reactance, XL. Unlike a resistor, which opposes current steadily, an inductor's opposition depends on how quickly the current is changing — and that's set by the AC frequency. But the inductor's design also matters: its inductance L depends on the core material.
When you slide an iron rod into the coil, you're changing the core from air (low permeability) to iron (high permeability). That dramatically increases L. And since XL=2πfL, the reactance jumps up. With a fixed AC voltage source, more reactance means less current — and the bulb, which glows based on the power it dissipates (P=I2R), gets dimmer.
A common mistake is to think the iron rod "conducts" current or somehow helps the bulb. It doesn't — the rod is insulated or just a solid piece; it only changes the magnetic properties of the coil. The bulb's brightness depends on current, not on magnetic field strength directly.
Step-by-step reasoning
1. Identify the circuit elements and their roles.
The bulb is a resistive load (its filament has resistance R). The open-coil inductor is a pure inductor (ideally, zero resistance) with inductance L. They're in series with an AC source of fixed voltage Vrms and fixed frequency f. The total impedance of the series combination is:
Z=R2+XL2,where XL=2πfL.
2. Understand what inserting the iron rod does.
The inductance of a coil depends on the magnetic permeability μ of the core material:
L=lμN2A,
where N is the number of turns, A is the cross-sectional area, and l is the length. Air has μ≈μ0 (permeability of free space). Iron has a relative permeability μr that can be hundreds or thousands — so μ=μrμ0 becomes huge. Therefore, L increases dramatically.
Lwith iron=μrLair(μr≫1)
3. Trace the effect on current.
The RMS current in the circuit is:
Irms=ZVrms=R2+(2πfL)2Vrms.
When L increases, XL increases, so Z increases. Since Vrms and f are fixed, Irms decreases.
4. Connect current to bulb brightness. …
Method: Predicting How a Circuit Responds When a Reactive Element Changes
This method applies whenever a question changes one physical property of an inductor or capacitor (inserting a core, changing frequency, adding a dielectric) and asks how the current or brightness of another element responds.
Steps
Step 1: Identify what stays fixed and what changes.
Write down the source voltage and frequency (usually fixed) separately from the component property being altered (here, the core material, which changes L). Never let the changing quantity be confused with the fixed ones.
Step 2: Express the total opposition to current (impedance) in terms of the changing quantity.
For a resistor in series with an inductor,
Z=R2+XL2,XL=2πfL
Identify which reactance formula governs the changing element (XL=ωL for an inductor, XC=1/(ωC) for a capacitor) and note whether the change increases or decreases that reactance.
Step 3: Track the chain of cause and effect through to the quantity being asked about. …
Showing the 12 most recent of 13 on this concept.
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-18-FN1 markMCQQ.The ratio of the turns per unit length in two inductors is 2 : 1. Then the ratio of the impedances produced by the inductors is (A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 21 (D) 41
›Reveal solutionSolution
Inductance (and hence inductive impedance at fixed frequency) scales as the square of the turn density. Answer: 4.
Concept and Intuition
For a solenoid-type inductor, L=μ0n2Al, where n=N/l is the number of turns per unit length. This comes from B=μ0nI inside the coil combined with flux linkage through all N=nl turns — the n appears twice (once from the field, once from the number of turns linking that field), giving the n2 dependence. Since inductive reactance XL=ωL at a fixed angular frequency ω, the impedance ratio mirrors the inductance ratio.
Step-by-Step Solution
- L∝n2 (for identical core, area, and length).
- Z=XL=ωL∝n2 (same ω for both). …
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-22-AN1 markMCQQ.A resistor of 450 Ω and an inductor are connected in series to an ac source of frequency π75 Hz. If the power factor of the circuit is 0.6, then the inductance connected in the circuit is (A) 6 mH (B) 4 H (C) 4 mH (D) 6 H
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests series RL ac-circuit relations: power factor gives impedance, impedance gives reactance, and reactance gives inductance. The answer is L=4 H.
Concept and Intuition
In a series RL circuit, the resistor and inductor's voltage phasors are perpendicular (resistor voltage in phase with current, inductor voltage 90∘ ahead), so the impedance triangle has R as the base and XL as the perpendicular side, with Z the hypotenuse. The power factor cosϕ=R/Z tells us how "resistive" the circuit looks overall; once we know cosϕ and R, geometry pins down Z and hence XL, and dividing XL by the angular frequency gives L.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Power factor: cosϕ=ZR=0.6⇒Z=0.6R=0.6450=750 Ω.
- Impedance relation: Z2=R2+XL2⇒XL=Z2−R2=7502−4502. 7502=562500,4502=202500,XL=360000=600 Ω …
- AP EAPCET 2025Set ap-2025-05-19-FN1 markMCQQ.If an inductor of inductance 0.5 μH is connected to an ac source of frequency 70 MHz and voltage 3.3 V, then the current through the inductor is (A) 5 mA (B) 7.5 mA (C) 15 mA (D) 30 mA
›Reveal solutionSolution
The inductive reactance XL=2πfL at 70MHz for a 0.5μH inductor works out to about 220Ω; dividing the given voltage by this reactance gives a current of 15mA.
Concept and Intuition
An ideal inductor connected to an AC source opposes the current with an impedance called inductive reactance, XL=ωL=2πfL, which increases with frequency. The current amplitude (or rms current, matching whichever the voltage is quoted as) is then simply Ohm's-law-like: I=V/XL.
Step-by-Step Solution
- XL=2πfL=2π×(70×106Hz)×(0.5×10−6H).
- fL=70×106×0.5×10−6=35. …
- AP EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-18-FN1 markMCQQ.In the figure, if A & B are identical bulbs, which bulb glows brighter [FIGURE] (an AC circuit with two parallel branches between a common pair of rails, one branch containing a 100 mH inductor in series with bulb A, the other branch containing a 10 pF capacitor in series with bulb B; both branches are connected across an AC source) (A) A (B) B (C) Both with equal brightness (D) Both do not glow
›Reveal solutionSolution
The brightness of each bulb depends on the current through it, which is determined by the impedance of its branch at the AC source frequency. Since the inductor and capacitor have opposite frequency-dependent reactances, one branch will have much lower impedance than the other, making one bulb glow brighter. The correct option is (A).
-
Understand the circuit and the goal
Bulbs A and B are identical, so their brightness is directly proportional to the power dissipated, which depends on the square of the current through them. The two branches are in parallel across the same AC source. The current in each branch is limited by the total impedance of that branch:
- Branch A: inductor (100 mH) in series with bulb A.
- Branch B: capacitor (10 pF) in series with bulb B. The bulbs themselves have some resistance R (same for both). The source is AC, but its frequency is not given — this is the key puzzle.
-
Recall the frequency dependence of reactances
- Inductive reactance: XL=2πfL — increases with frequency.
- Capacitive reactance: XC=2πfC1 — decreases with frequency. For a typical AC mains frequency (e.g., 50 Hz or 60 Hz), let’s see what happens.
-
Estimate the reactances at a typical mains frequency
Take f=50Hz (common in many countries).
- L=100mH=0.1H
XL=2π(50)(0.1)=10π≈31.4Ω
- C=10pF=10×10−12F
XC=2π(50)(10×10−12)1=2π×5×10−101≈3.14×10−91≈3.18×108Ω
That’s 318 million ohms — an enormous impedance. Even if the bulb’s resistance is, say, 100 Ω, the capacitor branch is essentially an open circuit.
-
Compare the branch impedances
- Branch A impedance: ZA=R2+XL2. With XL≈31.4Ω and R maybe 100 Ω, ZA is on the order of 100–200 Ω.
- Branch B impedance: ZB=R2+XC2≈XC (since XC is huge), so ZB≈3×108Ω. The current in branch B is therefore microscopic compared to branch A. Bulb B will not glow at all, while bulb A glows normally.
-
What if the frequency is extremely high?
If the source were at a very high frequency (e.g., radio frequencies), XL would become large and XC small, possibly reversing the situation. But the problem is from a typical physics exam context, where the AC source is assumed to be standard mains (50/60 Hz). No special frequency is mentioned, so we assume ordinary conditions.
-
Check the possibility of resonance …
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- AP EAPCET 2023Set eng-2023-05-19-FN1 markMCQQ.An ac voltage of 10 sin ωt volt is applied to a pure inductor of inductance 10 H. The current through the inductor in ampere is (A) ω1sin(ωt−2π) (B) ωsin(ωt−2π) (C) ω21sin(ωt−2π) (D) ω2sin(ωt−2π)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests the standard AC-inductor relation: current lags voltage by 90° and has
amplitude V0/(ωL). Answer: ω1sin(ωt−π/2).
Concept and Intuition
For a purely inductive AC circuit, the induced back-EMF opposes the rate of change of
current, which mathematically results in the current lagging the applied voltage by a
quarter cycle (π/2 radians). The peak current is found by dividing the peak
voltage by the inductive reactance XL=ωL, analogous to Ohm's law for AC.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Given voltage v=10sinωt volts, so V0=10 V.
- Inductive reactance: XL=ωL=ω(10)=10ω Ω.
- Peak current: I0=XLV0=10ω10=ω1.
- For a pure inductor, current lags voltage by π/2: …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set ap-2022-07-11-FN1 markMCQQ.An inductor of 200 μH is connected to an alternating source of frequency 50 Hz. Then the inductive reactance is (A) 6.28×10−2 Ω (B) 1.64×10−2 Ω (C) 3.14×10−2 Ω (D) 4.82×10−2 Ω
›Reveal solutionSolution
Direct application of the inductive-reactance formula XL=2πfL.
Concept and Intuition
Inductive reactance measures how strongly an inductor opposes a changing AC current; it grows in proportion to both the frequency of the source and the inductance value, XL=ωL=2πfL.
Step-by-Step Solution
- L=200 μH=2×10−4 H, f=50 Hz.
- XL=2π×50×2×10−4=2π×0.01=0.0628 Ω.
- XL=6.28×10−2 Ω. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-04-FN1 markMCQQ.A coil of inductance 0.1 H and resistance 110 Ω is connected to a source of 110 V and 350 Hz. The phase difference between the voltage maximum and the current maximum is (A) tan−1(1.5) (B) tan−1(0.5) (C) tan−1(1.73) (D) tan−1(2)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests the phase relationship in a series RL AC circuit; computing XL and dividing by R gives tanϕ≈2.
Concept and Intuition
In a pure resistor, voltage and current are in phase. In a pure inductor, the voltage leads the current by 90∘ because the inductor opposes changes in current. In a series RL circuit, the net phase difference between the applied voltage and the resulting current is somewhere between 0∘ and 90∘, set by the ratio of the inductive reactance to the resistance: tanϕ=XL/R.
Step-by-Step Solution
- ω=2πf=2π(350)≈2199.1 rad/s.
- XL=ωL=2199.1×0.1≈219.9 Ω. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-05-AN1 markMCQQ.A 70 mH inductor is connected to 220 V, 50 Hz AC supply. The rms value of the current in the circuit is (A) 2π100 A (B) 10 A (C) π50 A (D) π102 A
›Reveal solutionSolution
The inductor's reactance is XL=2πfL=7π Ω≈22 Ω; dividing the rms voltage
by this gives Irms≈10 A.
Concept and Intuition
A pure inductor opposes changes in current, and in an AC circuit this opposition manifests as the
inductive reactance XL=ωL=2πfL, which plays the same role as resistance does in Ohm's
law for the rms quantities: Irms=Vrms/XL (with a 90∘ phase difference between
voltage and current, but that doesn't affect the rms magnitude relation).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Compute angular frequency: ω=2πf=2π(50)=100π rad/s.
- Inductive reactance: XL=ωL=100π×0.070=7π Ω≈21.99 Ω. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-06-FN1 markMCQQ.The impedance of an LR circuit with L=π60 mH, R=8 Ω and frequency 50 Hz is (A) 1.3 Ω (B) 14.3 Ω (C) 20 Ω (D) 10 Ω
›Reveal solutionSolution
Compute the inductive reactance XL=ωL first (the π's conveniently cancel), then combine with R in quadrature — a clean 6-8-10 right triangle.
Concept and Intuition
In an AC circuit with a resistor and inductor in series, the voltage across R and the voltage across L are 90° out of phase (resistor voltage in phase with current, inductor voltage leading by 90°). So their contributions to the total impedance add as a vector sum (Pythagorean combination), not a simple algebraic sum: Z=R2+XL2.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Angular frequency: ω=2πf=2π(50)=100π rad/s. …
- AP EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-07-AN1 markMCQQ.A circuit containing inductance of 6π1 H and a resistance of 15 Ω in series. If an AC voltage of 100 V and 60 Hz is applied to above circuit, then the current in the circuit and phase difference between voltage and current respectively are (A) 4 A and tan−1(54) (B) 5.3 A and tan−1(43) (C) 4 A and tan−1(34) (D) 5.3 A and tan−1(34)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Find the inductive reactance, combine with resistance to get impedance, then use I=V/Z and tanϕ=XL/R.
Concept and Intuition
In a series RL circuit driven by AC, current lags voltage by a phase angle ϕ determined by the ratio of reactance to resistance. The impedance Z=R2+XL2 sets the current magnitude via Ohm's law for AC circuits.
Step-by-Step Solution
- XL=2πfL=2π×60×6π1=62×60=20Ω.
- Z=R2+XL2=152+202=225+400=625=25Ω.
- I=ZV=25100=4 A. …
- AP EAPCET 2021Set eng-2021-08-23-FN1 markMCQQ.The reactance of an inductor at 50 Hz is 10 Ω. The reactance of it at 200 Hz is: (A) 10 Ω (B) 40 Ω (C) 2.5 Ω (D) 20 Ω
›Reveal solutionSolution
Tests that inductive reactance is directly proportional to frequency. Since frequency increases 4×, reactance increases 4× to 40 Ω.
Concept and Intuition
An inductor opposes changes in current; the faster the current alternates (higher f), the more strongly it opposes, so XL=2πfL grows linearly with frequency (unlike capacitive reactance, which falls with frequency).
Step-by-Step Solution
- At f1=50 Hz: XL1=2πf1L=10 Ω. …
- AP EAPCET 2021Set eng-2021-08-24-AN1 markMCQQ.The current and emf through an inductance differ by phase by: (A) 4π (B) 2π (C) 3π (D) π
›Reveal solutionSolution
This is a standard AC circuits fact: current through a pure inductor lags the EMF/voltage across it by exactly π/2 radians (90°).
Concept and Intuition
In a pure inductor, the voltage across it is V=LdtdI. If the current varies sinusoidally as I=I0sin(ωt), then V=LI0ωcos(ωt)=LI0ωsin(ωt+π/2) — the voltage leads the current (equivalently, current lags voltage) by exactly a quarter cycle, π/2. This is because an inductor opposes CHANGES in current, so the current's peak (zero rate of change) lines up with the moment the voltage crosses zero, and vice versa.
Step-by-Step Solution
- For a pure inductor, VL=LdtdI.
- Let I(t)=I0sin(ωt); differentiate: dtdI=I0ωcos(ωt).
- So VL=LI0ωcos(ωt)=LI0ωsin(ωt+π/2). …
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