The inductance conversion calculator helps you change the measurement of inductance. It works between different units, like picohenries (pH) and kilohenries (kH), and others in between.
| picohenry (pH) | nanohenry (nH) | microhenry (µH) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 | 0.000001 |
| 10 | 0.01 | 0.00001 |
| 100 | 0.1 | 0.0001 |
| 1000 | 1 | 0.001 |
| 10000 | 10 | 0.01 |
| 100000 | 100 | 0.1 |
| 1000000 | 1000 | 1 |
| 10000000 | 10000 | 10 |
| 100000000 | 100000 | 100 |
What is Inductance?
Inductance is a property of an electrical conductor. It is a key idea in physics and electrical engineering. Inductance is the ability of a conductor to stop changes in electric current. When the current in a wire changes, a magnetic field is made. This magnetic field then makes a voltage in the wire itself. This new voltage works to fight the change in current. This fight is what we call inductance.
Inductance is a big deal for many electrical circuits. It is in all conductors. But, it is most important in parts called inductors. An inductor is a simple electronic part. It holds energy in a magnetic field. Inductors are often made of a wire coil. The coil shape makes the inductance bigger. The unit for inductance is the henry (H).
How Inductance Works
Think about a coil of wire. You connect it to a battery. Current starts to flow. As the current gets bigger, a magnetic field grows around the coil. This magnetic field is not still. It is changing because the current is changing. This changing magnetic field makes a voltage. This new voltage is called the back EMF (electromotive force). The back EMF has a force that fights the change in current. It tries to stop the current from getting bigger too fast. This fight is the main point of inductance.
When you turn off the battery, the current starts to get smaller. The magnetic field around the coil goes away. This going away magnetic field also makes a voltage. This time, the new voltage has a force that tries to keep the current flowing. It tries to fight the drop in current. This is why inductors can make current flow smoother. They stop fast changes.
The value of an inductor's inductance depends on many things. It depends on how many times the wire is coiled. More coils mean more inductance. It also depends on the size of the coil. A bigger size means more inductance. The material inside the coil, the core, also affects inductance. A core made of a magnetic material, like iron, can make inductance much bigger. The length of the coil matters too. A longer coil has less inductance for its length.
Uses of Inductance
Inductors have many uses in electronics. They are key parts in many circuits. One common use is in filters. Inductors can be used to take out bad frequencies from a signal. For example, they can be part of a low-pass filter. This filter lets low-frequency signals pass through but stops high-frequency signals. This is good in sound systems. It can separate low sounds from high sounds.
Inductors are also used in power supplies. They help make direct current (DC) smooth. This is DC that comes from alternating current (AC). Without inductors, the DC current would have bumps. These bumps are bad. Inductors reduce these bumps. This gives a more stable power output.
Another use is in tuning circuits. These circuits are in radios and TVs. An inductor and a capacitor together form a circuit. This circuit can be tuned to a certain frequency. This lets you pick one radio station from many others.
Inductors are also used in transformers. A transformer uses inductance to change the voltage of an AC signal. It has two coils. One coil is the main one. The other is the second one. The main coil has a changing current. This makes a changing magnetic field. This field then makes a current in the second coil. The number of coils decides the voltage change.
To sum up, inductance is a key idea. It is the base for many important electronic parts. The units for inductance go from very small to very large. This is why a conversion calculator is good. It helps people work with these different sizes easily.
FAQ
Inductance and resistance are both properties of electrical parts. They both fight current flow. But they do this in different ways. Resistance fights current flow no matter if it is changing or not. Resistance turns electrical energy into heat. Inductance, on the other hand, only fights changes in current. It does not turn energy into heat. Instead, it holds energy in a magnetic field. When the current does not change, inductance has no effect. But resistance still affects the current.
We have many units for inductance because the values in electronics can be very different. Some parts have very small inductance.
A coil of wire makes inductance because of its shape. When current flows through a wire, it makes a magnetic field around the wire. When the wire is coiled, the magnetic fields from each coil turn add up. This makes the total magnetic field much stronger. A stronger magnetic field means that a change in current will make a bigger voltage. A bigger new voltage means a higher inductance. So, coiling the wire is a way to make inductance bigger. It makes the part better at holding magnetic energy.
Parasitic inductance is a bad inductance. It is in all real electrical parts and wires. For example, a resistor is made to have only resistance. But the wire ends of the resistor have some small inductance. This is parasitic inductance.
