In the equation for the frequency at which an RLC circuit oscillates, what is C and L?

• A. Resistance and Reactance
• B. Capacitance equals voltage; Inductance equals current
• C. Capacitance and Inductance represent the capacitor's capacitance and inductor's inductance
• D. Capacitance is the resistance; Inductance is the reactance

Answer: (C)

Understanding what C and L represent in an RLC circuit and how they set the oscillation frequency. C is capacitance—the capacitor’s ability to store electric charge, measured in farads. L is inductance—the inductor’s ability to store energy in a magnetic field, measured in henries. In an ideal LC tank, energy continuously shifts between the electric field of the capacitor and the magnetic field of the inductor, producing oscillations at a natural frequency given by f0 = 1/(2π√(LC)) (or angular frequency ω0 = 1/√(LC)). The resistance in the circuit mainly damps the oscillation rather than setting this frequency. So C and L are precisely the capacitor’s capacitance and the inductor’s inductance. The other options mix up these concepts (such as defining C as resistance or equating capacitance to voltage), which doesn’t reflect what these symbols represent.