Difference between Reactance and Impedance
The reactance and impedance are the two interesting phenomenon in electronics. In rough way we can call impedance and reactance both are resistance. But this resistance is offered when AC supply is given to passive elements like inductor, capacitor, resistor. The impedance can be defined as opposition offered to the AC current flow by resistor and inductor or capacitor together and in some cases we can include all three passive elements. The reactance is the opposition offered by only two elements to the AC current flow i.e. Inductor and Capacitor. When in the circuit there will be either inductor or capacitor then there will be reactance. In the circuit when there will be both capacitor and inductor or capacitor, Inductor and resistor then there will be impedence. The reactance represented by the letter X and the impedance is represented by Z. There are many applications of reactance and impedance in the electronics. The difference between them is as follows.
Reactance | Impedence |
1) The reactance measures the opposition of capacitance and inductance to current.
2) There are two types of reactance: capacitive reactance and inductive reactance. 3) When in the circuit there will be either inductor or capacitor then there will be reactance. 4) The reactance represented by the letter X . 5) The reactance is measured in the unit of ohms (Ω). |
1) The impedance measures the overall opposition of a circuit to current.
2)The impedance can be split into two parts Resistance R and Reactance X . 3) In the circuit when there will be both capacitor and inductor or capacitor, Inductor and resistor then there will be impedence. 4) The impedance is represented by the letter Z. 5) The impedence is measured in the unit of ohms (Ω) but in complex form. |