What happens to the inductive reactance if the value of an inductor is increased?

Inductive reactance is a measure of how much an inductor resists the change in current flowing through it, and it is determined by the frequency of the current and the inductance value of the inductor. The formula for inductive reactance is given by:

[ X_L = 2 \pi f L ]

where ( X_L ) is the inductive reactance, ( f ) is the frequency of the alternating current (AC), and ( L ) is the inductance in henries (H).

When the inductance value ( L ) is increased, the inductive reactance ( X_L ) correspondingly increases, assuming that the frequency ( f ) remains constant. This is because the inductive reactance is directly proportional to the inductance; therefore, a larger inductance results in greater opposition to the AC current.

In practical terms, increasing the inductance means the inductor stores more energy in its magnetic field, which further increases the opposition to changes in current. As a result, the correct answer indicates that inductive reactance will increase with an increase in the inductor value.