As one of the most basic passive components, inductors play an important role in electronic applications, from starting motors to supplying power to your home. Inductors store energy in a magnetic field when current flows through them. A typical inductor uses insulated wire wound into a coil around a central core.
Inductors Explained – The Basics of How Inductors Work
As useful as inductors are, the biggest problem is their physical size. Inductors often dwarf other electronic components in a circuit and also add weight. Some techniques simulate a large inductor in a circuit. However, the added complexity and extra components limit where these techniques are used.
Inductors are used extensively with capacitors and resistors to create filters for analog circuits and in signal processing. By itself, an inductor functions as a low-pass filter, since the impedance of an inductor increases as the frequency of a signal increases.
When combined with a capacitor, whose impedance decreases as the frequency of a signal increases, a notched filter is created that only passes a certain frequency range.
