Which component stores energy in a magnetic field?

Which component stores energy in a magnetic field?

• A. Capacitor
• B. Inductor
• C. Resistor
• D. Transformer

Answer: (B)

Storing energy in a magnetic field comes from a coil carrying current, which is the function of an inductor. When current flows through the coil, it creates a magnetic field in the core or around the winding, and energy is stored in that magnetic field. The amount of energy is given by E = 1/2 L I^2, where L is the inductance and I is the current. A capacitor stores energy in an electric field between its plates, not a magnetic field. A resistor doesn’t store energy at all; it dissipates electrical energy as heat. A transformer uses magnetic coupling between windings and shares energy via the magnetic field, but its primary role is energy transfer, whereas the inductor is the element whose defining function is storing energy in a magnetic field.

Storing energy in a magnetic field comes from a coil carrying current, which is the function of an inductor. When current flows through the coil, it creates a magnetic field in the core or around the winding, and energy is stored in that magnetic field. The amount of energy is given by E = 1/2 L I^2, where L is the inductance and I is the current. A capacitor stores energy in an electric field between its plates, not a magnetic field. A resistor doesn’t store energy at all; it dissipates electrical energy as heat. A transformer uses magnetic coupling between windings and shares energy via the magnetic field, but its primary role is energy transfer, whereas the inductor is the element whose defining function is storing energy in a magnetic field.