Electron wrote: > trying to improve my knowledge of inductors. Then Google and find a tutorial first. Surely there must be many basic introduction to inductors out there. Do your homework first, then ask here about remaining issues. > The energy stored in an inductor is proportional to the current that > is flowing through it in that certain moment. No. Go look it up. > If the current > increases, then (part of it or all?) All unless you hit saturation. > gets stored as additional energy > in the magnetic field, > I'd three questions for Your brains: Phew. Good thing they are not for my foot or left elbow. Those aren't very good at answering questions. > 2) Suppose I increase the current in an inductor till 1A, then keep > it constant for 1 second. What happens during this second? Do I > simply waste power? In a ideal inductor, no. However, most (all you can hold in your hand) inductors have a non-zero resistance. During the 1 second of constant current this resistance will dissipate power. > 3) If I simply wasted power (continuing from the previous question), > then I suppose I will waste some power even during the "current is > increasing" part. Then, when current is increasing (that is, dI/dt > is not zero), how much energy I am storing and how much I wasting > (as heat, etc..)? What is the formula? Model the real inductor as a ideal inductor in series with a resistor and it will become obvious. > I fail to make an analogy with capacitors, as once charged they get > (theoretically) infinite impedance. Huh? Go read a tutorial on capacitors too. > Inductors instead get > (theoretical) zero impedance, and this may imply the "waste" problem > stated above. As I said, I fail to make an analogy with capacitors on > this particular issue. This is too confused to try to correct here. Go read some introductory material on inductors and capacitors and then come back after having done your homework. ******************************************************************** Embed Inc, Littleton Massachusetts, http://www.embedinc.com/products (978) 742-9014. Gold level PIC consultants since 2000. -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist