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reactance

[ree-ak-tuh ns]
noun
  1. Electricity. the opposition of inductance and capacitance to alternating current, expressed in ohms: equal to the product of the sine of the angular phase difference between current and voltage and the ratio of the effective voltage to the effective current. Symbol: XCompare capacitive reactance, inductive reactance.
  2. Acoustics. acoustic reactance.

Origin of reactance

First recorded in 1890–95; react + -ance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for reactance

Contemporary Examples of reactance

Historical Examples of reactance

  • The combined effect of resistance and reactance is called impedance.

    Physics

    Willis Eugene Tower

  • Reactance is the effect of self-induction in hindering the flow of current.

    Physics

    Willis Eugene Tower

  • Impedance, however, does not equal the sum of resistance and reactance.

    Physics

    Willis Eugene Tower

  • The degree to which the current is opposed by the capacity is the reactance of that capacity for that frequency.

  • The degree in which any current is opposed by inductance is termed the reactance of that inductance.

British Dictionary definitions for reactance

reactance

noun
  1. the opposition to the flow of alternating current by the capacitance or inductance of an electrical circuit; the imaginary part of the impedance Z, Z = R + i X, where R is the resistance, i = √–1, and X is the reactance. It is expressed in ohmsCompare resistance (def. 3)
  2. the opposition to the flow of an acoustic or mechanical vibration, usually due to inertia or stiffness. It is the magnitude of the imaginary part of the acoustic or mechanical impedance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012