Question

When does an inductor act as a conductor in a circuit? Give reason for it.

Hint:

In AC circuits, consider both the real and imaginary components of impedance. In DC circuits, inductors and capacitors behave differently depending on the steadiness of the current or voltage.

Answer 1

Inductor Acting as a Conductor
An inductor acts as a conductor in a DC circuit when the current is steady (i.e., not changing with time). This happens because: \begin{itemize} \item The induced emf in the inductor is given by Faraday's Law: \[ \mathcal{E} = -L \frac{dI}{dt}. \] \item When the current $I$ is steady, $\frac{dI}{dt} = 0$, and hence the induced emf is zero. \end{itemize} With no opposing emf, the inductor behaves as a simple conductor with negligible resistance, allowing the current to flow freely.