Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Reactance is one of those electrical concepts that can be tricky to wrap your head around. It’s not the same as resistance, but it still opposes current flow. So what is it really? 🤔
00:00 - Intro
00:11 - Reactance vs Resistance
02:14 - Impedance
04:46 - Types of Reactance
06:21 - Circuit Conditions
15:44 - Calculating Reactance
In this video, we break down inductive reactance (XL) and capacitive reactance (XC), showing you how they work in AC circuits. Unlike resistors that simply dissipate energy as heat, inductors and capacitors store and release energy, making them behave very differently! ⚡
We’ll also talk about impedance (Z)—the total opposition to current in a circuit, which combines resistance and reactance. You’ll learn how inductors cause current to lag voltage while capacitors do the opposite, making current lead voltage. These phase shifts play a huge role in power factor and circuit efficiency.
By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp on why ELI the ICE Man is a phrase every electrician should know! 💡
🔧 Topics Covered:
✔ The difference between resistance and reactance
✔ How inductors and capacitors store energy
✔ Why voltage and current get out of phase
✔ The role of impedance in AC circuits
✔ How to calculate reactance in real-world examples
If you’re an electrician, apprentice, or DIYer looking to level up your AC circuit knowledge, this video is for you! 💪
📢 Drop a comment if you’ve ever had trouble with reactance, and let’s talk about it!
🤘⚡️EU Learning System⚡️🤘
For Individuals --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-individuals
For Businesses --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-businesses
-Video courses on every side of the electrical trade (theory, code, safety, wiring, install, troubleshooting, leadership, and more)
-Practice exams for 2017, 2020, 2023 code
-YouTube videos categorized and searchable
-Audio lessons
-Forum
-Business version has admin portal and ability to assign learning to technicians and monitor progress
-Any business size from 2 techs to 2,000!
🎓💡CONTINUING EDUCATION💡🎓
Sign up here --- electricianu.com/electrician-continuing-education-online-electrician-u
-State Approved
-Video Based
✍📝PRACTICE EXAMS📝✍
Get them here --- electricianu.com/electrician-exam-practice-tests
-2017, 2020, and 2023 NEC versions
-Online Residential Wireman Exam
-Online Journeyman Exam
-Online Master Exam
-300 Question Online Code Cannon (not license specific, all code)
-Take as many times as you want
-All of the above come with printable PDFs
🎤🎧PODCAST🎧🎤
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7ldCwdxhWnT0R3nne96XjC?si=a42a98b83c3549fc&nd=1
Apple Podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/electrician-u/id1583270265
📱👍SOCIALS👍📱
TikTok - tiktok.com/@electricianu
Instagram - instagram.com/electrician_u
Facebook - facebook.com/TheElectricianU
Reddit - reddit.com/r/ElectricianU
Rumble - rumble.com/c/ElectricianU
Discord - discord.gg/electricianu
🎧🎹Music, Editing, and Videography by Drake Descant and Rob LeBlanc🎹🎧
#electrician #electrical #electricity
Reactance is one of those electrical concepts that can be tricky to wrap your head around. It’s not the same as resistance, but it still opposes current flow. So what is it really? 🤔
00:00 - Intro
00:11 - Reactance vs Resistance
02:14 - Impedance
04:46 - Types of Reactance
06:21 - Circuit Conditions
15:44 - Calculating Reactance
In this video, we break down inductive reactance (XL) and capacitive reactance (XC), showing you how they work in AC circuits. Unlike resistors that simply dissipate energy as heat, inductors and capacitors store and release energy, making them behave very differently! ⚡
We’ll also talk about impedance (Z)—the total opposition to current in a circuit, which combines resistance and reactance. You’ll learn how inductors cause current to lag voltage while capacitors do the opposite, making current lead voltage. These phase shifts play a huge role in power factor and circuit efficiency.
By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp on why ELI the ICE Man is a phrase every electrician should know! 💡
🔧 Topics Covered:
✔ The difference between resistance and reactance
✔ How inductors and capacitors store energy
✔ Why voltage and current get out of phase
✔ The role of impedance in AC circuits
✔ How to calculate reactance in real-world examples
If you’re an electrician, apprentice, or DIYer looking to level up your AC circuit knowledge, this video is for you! 💪
📢 Drop a comment if you’ve ever had trouble with reactance, and let’s talk about it!
🤘⚡️EU Learning System⚡️🤘
For Individuals --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-individuals
For Businesses --- electricianu.com/learning-system-for-businesses
-Video courses on every side of the electrical trade (theory, code, safety, wiring, install, troubleshooting, leadership, and more)
-Practice exams for 2017, 2020, 2023 code
-YouTube videos categorized and searchable
-Audio lessons
-Forum
-Business version has admin portal and ability to assign learning to technicians and monitor progress
-Any business size from 2 techs to 2,000!
🎓💡CONTINUING EDUCATION💡🎓
Sign up here --- electricianu.com/electrician-continuing-education-online-electrician-u
-State Approved
-Video Based
✍📝PRACTICE EXAMS📝✍
Get them here --- electricianu.com/electrician-exam-practice-tests
-2017, 2020, and 2023 NEC versions
-Online Residential Wireman Exam
-Online Journeyman Exam
-Online Master Exam
-300 Question Online Code Cannon (not license specific, all code)
-Take as many times as you want
-All of the above come with printable PDFs
🎤🎧PODCAST🎧🎤
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7ldCwdxhWnT0R3nne96XjC?si=a42a98b83c3549fc&nd=1
Apple Podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/electrician-u/id1583270265
📱👍SOCIALS👍📱
TikTok - tiktok.com/@electricianu
Instagram - instagram.com/electrician_u
Facebook - facebook.com/TheElectricianU
Reddit - reddit.com/r/ElectricianU
Rumble - rumble.com/c/ElectricianU
Discord - discord.gg/electricianu
🎧🎹Music, Editing, and Videography by Drake Descant and Rob LeBlanc🎹🎧
#electrician #electrical #electricity
