Capacitors introduce ______ back on the circuit.

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Multiple Choice

Capacitors introduce ______ back on the circuit.

In AC circuits, a capacitor adds a reactive opposition to current called capacitive reactance. This impedance depends on frequency and capacitance, described by Xc = 1/(2πfC). That means as frequency increases, capacitive reactance decreases—so AC passes more easily through the capacitor, while at DC (zero frequency) the capacitor blocks current because Xc is effectively infinite. Capacitance is the stored-charge property, inductive reactance comes from inductors, and resistance is the real, non-reactive opposition—none of which capture the frequency-dependent opposition that a capacitor introduces.

In AC circuits, a capacitor adds a reactive opposition to current called capacitive reactance. This impedance depends on frequency and capacitance, described by Xc = 1/(2πfC). That means as frequency increases, capacitive reactance decreases—so AC passes more easily through the capacitor, while at DC (zero frequency) the capacitor blocks current because Xc is effectively infinite. Capacitance is the stored-charge property, inductive reactance comes from inductors, and resistance is the real, non-reactive opposition—none of which capture the frequency-dependent opposition that a capacitor introduces.

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