Question

Is the inductor AC or DC?

Answer 1

An inductor can work with both AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current), but its behavior is different depending on the type of current.

1. With DC:
   

   - When a DC voltage is applied, an inductor initially resists the sudden change in current because of its inductive reactance (a property of inductors to oppose changes in current). This causes a brief spike in voltage when the current starts flowing.
   - After a while, the inductor will act like a short circuit (if the DC voltage is constant), meaning the current will flow freely through it without much resistance, as the inductor's opposition to DC is only temporary (it's just a constant magnetic field once the current stabilizes).

1. With AC:
   

   - When an AC voltage is applied, the current constantly changes direction, and the inductor constantly resists changes in the current. This means the inductor doesn't allow the current to increase or decrease as easily as it would in a resistor.
   - In AC circuits, inductors have inductive reactance (similar to resistance but for AC). The inductive reactance depends on the frequency of the AC signal. The higher the frequency, the greater the opposition to the current.

So, in short:

1. DC: The inductor initially resists the current, but once the current is stable, it acts like a wire.
   

1. AC: The inductor resists the current continuously, with the level of opposition depending on the frequency of the AC signal.
   

Hope that clears it up! Let me know if you need further details.