What happens to impedance if reactance increases in an AC circuit?

In an AC circuit, impedance is the total opposition that a circuit presents to the flow of alternating current and is represented as a combination of both resistance and reactance.

When the reactance in the circuit increases, it directly contributes to an increase in total impedance. Impedance is defined mathematically as the square root of the sum of the squares of resistance (R) and reactance (X):

[ Z = \sqrt{R^2 + X^2} ]

As reactance (X) increases while resistance (R) remains constant, the value of ( X^2 ) becomes larger. Since the impedance formula relies on the sum of the squares of both components, an increase in reactance results in a higher overall value of impedance.

Therefore, with an increase in reactance in an AC circuit, impedance indeed increases. This concept is crucial for understanding circuit behavior in AC systems, where both types of opposition, resistance and reactance, play a significant role in determining how the circuit will respond to alternating current.