ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the fundamental properties of capacitors and inductors and introduces the very useful concept of duality in electric circuits. It introduces some fundamental considerations on capacitors and inductors, including the capacitance and inductance of prototypical devices, voltage–current relations, stored energy, and the equivalent capacitance and inductance of capacitors and inductors in series or in parallel. Before discussing inductors, some basic notions on electromagnetism are considered. Duality can be a useful aid in analyzing electric circuits involving energy storage elements. The energy stored in the magnetic field of an inductor is equal to the work done in establishing the flux in the inductor against the induced voltage, which opposes the increase in inductor current during the establishment of the flux. The chapter concludes with an introduction of the very useful concept of duality in electric circuits, starting with duality of the relations for capacitors and inductors.
