Calculate the total impedance of a series RLC combination and its phase angle.
Inductive and capacitive reactance oppose each other, so they subtract before being combined with resistance in quadrature. Where they cancel exactly, impedance falls to the resistance alone — series resonance. The sign of the phase angle tells you whether the circuit is inductive or capacitive, which determines how it behaves in a power system.
Impedance
Z = √(R² + (X_L − X_C)²); X_L = 2πfL, X_C = 1 ÷ (2πfC)
Z = √(R² + (X_L − X_C)²); X_L = 2πfL, X_C = 1 ÷ (2πfC) Inductive and capacitive reactance oppose each other, so they subtract before being combined with resistance in quadrature. Where they cancel exactly, impedance falls to the resistance alone — series resonance.
The sign of the phase angle tells you whether the circuit is inductive or capacitive, which determines how it behaves in a power system.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Resistance, Inductance, Capacitance, Frequency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.