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Inductors in Parallel

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When two inductors are connected in parallel, the same voltage appears across each of them and the effective inductance of the circuit will always be less than any one of the two inductors taken alone. The effective inductance, L, of a circuit with two inductors, L₁ and L₂, connected in parallel is given by:

1 / L = 1 / L₁ + 1 / L₂

Similarly, where three inductors (L₁, L₂, and L₃) are connected in parallel, the effective inductance of the combined circuit will be given by:

1 / L = 1 / L₁ + 1 / L₂ + 1 / L₃

In the case of two inductors, the formula can be more conveniently re-arranged as follows:

L = (L₁ x L₂) / (L₁ + L₂)

This is the similar to the product over sum used for resistors and capacitors.

<^< Inductors in Series | Course index | Examples: Inductors in Circuits >^>