An electrical component that can store energy in a magnetic field created by passing electric current through it is:

An electrical component that can store energy in a magnetic field created by passing electric current through it is:

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

Answer: (D)

An inductor stores energy in a magnetic field that forms when current flows through its coil. The magnetic field is built by the current, and the energy in that field is proportional to the inductance and the square of the current (E = 1/2 L I^2). Because of this, the component inherently resists changes in current, which is why inductors are used in applications like filters and energy storage in power supplies. Resistors don’t store energy; they convert it to heat. Capacitors store energy in an electric field between plates, not a magnetic field. Transformers involve magnetic coupling to transfer energy between circuits and rely on changing magnetic flux, not on storing energy in the field from a steady current. So the description points to an inductor.

An inductor stores energy in a magnetic field that forms when current flows through its coil. The magnetic field is built by the current, and the energy in that field is proportional to the inductance and the square of the current (E = 1/2 L I^2). Because of this, the component inherently resists changes in current, which is why inductors are used in applications like filters and energy storage in power supplies. Resistors don’t store energy; they convert it to heat. Capacitors store energy in an electric field between plates, not a magnetic field. Transformers involve magnetic coupling to transfer energy between circuits and rely on changing magnetic flux, not on storing energy in the field from a steady current. So the description points to an inductor.