When calculating inductive reactance, what does 'f' represent?

In the context of calculating inductive reactance, 'f' represents frequency. Inductive reactance is a measure of how much an inductor resists the flow of alternating current (AC) and is directly proportional to both the inductance of the inductor and the frequency of the AC signal. The formula for calculating inductive reactance (XL) is given by:

XL = 2πfL

where 'L' is the inductance measured in henries and 'f' is the frequency measured in hertz. This relationship shows that as the frequency increases, the inductive reactance also increases, which means the inductor will offer more opposition to the current flow in an AC circuit. Understanding this relationship is crucial for analyzing AC circuits containing inductive components.