Gauss Labs Logo - Color
Dictionary / Engineering

Coil Inductance (L)

Engineering
The coil's resistance to changes in current flow. It directly determines how fast the magnetic field can rise when power is applied. Higher inductance means slower field buildup but potentially stronger peak field. Measured in Henries (H) or millihenries (mH). Inductance increases with more turns and with ferrite or iron core materials. Combined with resistance, it sets the L/R time constant.
How coil current builds up over the L over R time constantA rising curve showing coil current building toward its final value. It reaches about 63 percent of final after one time constant, 95 percent after three, and 99 percent after five. A pulse is essentially complete by about three time constants.100%63%1τ (63%)3τ (95%)5τ (99%)pulse essentially completeTime (multiples of the L/R time constant τ)Current built up (% of final)© 2026 Gauss Labs
Coil current does not switch on instantly; it builds up along this curve, set by the coil's L/R time constant. It reaches about 63% of full after one time constant, 95% after three, and 99% after five. If the pulse is at least about three time constants long, the current has essentially finished building, so the pulse is complete.
engineeringphysicshardware

Related terms

Powered by
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
Powered by