A magnetic field can be thought of consisting of lines of force, or flux lines. All magnets are surrounded by a magnetic field, also called magnetic flux.
In order to better understand inductance, it is helpful to have an understanding of magnetic field lines. The operation of electric generators is based on the principal of inductance. The generation of an electromotive force and current by a changing magnetic field is called electromagnetic induction. Joseph Henry, an American scientist, independently made this discovery at about the same time. In 1831, Michael Faraday, an English scientist, discovered that a changing magnetic field in a circuit induced a current in a nearby circuit.
Inductance is also defined as the property of an electric circuit that opposes any change in current.
Inductance is a property of an electric circuit by which a changing magnetic field creates an electromotive force, or voltage, in that circuit or in a nearby circuit. Molecular Expressions: Electricity and Magnetism - Inductance
