Inductance

Inductance is one of the major properties of any electrical circuits, wherein the voltage induced due to the changes in the electric field can be measured. In order for discriminating this property from the concept of mutual inductance, this property is also called self inductance. In simple words, self inductance is nothing but the process of inducing a voltage in an electrical circuit due to the changes in its own electric field. Whereas in mutual inductance, the changes in the electric field of one electric circuit will induce some voltage in another electric circuit. The inductance is referred with the symbol L.

Oliver Heaviside is the man who coined the term called “inductance” in the year 1886. The SI unit of inductance is nothing but H (Henry), and it is named after one of the most appreciated scientists of the United States named Joseph Henry. Joseph Henry is also a magnetic researcher as well.

The magnetic fields, which are produced by the electric fields is all that are responsible for the inductance as per the law of Ampere. The components used for adding some sort of inductance for any electronic circuit is called ‘Inductor’. Usually, the inductors will be made up of some wire coils in order for concentrating the fields of magnetism and for collecting the voltage being induced. As per the law stated by Gauss called Gauss’ law, the electric field, which is produced by the electric charges, is responsible for the capacitance developed.

The equations of inductance are nothing but the consequence of another well known set of equations called Maxwell’s Equations. The derivation in this case is straightforward. Speaking about the mutual inductance, in most of the cases, unwanted couplings are also witnessed. There are also some other equations, which will explain the relation between capacitance and inductance.

Questions:

• What is the difference between self inductance and mutual inductance?
• Who coined the term “inductance”?