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henry (unit) facts for kids
An inductor, which is a device that has inductance.
The henry (symbol H) is a special unit used in physics and electronics. It helps us measure something called inductance. Inductance is how much a part of an electrical circuit resists changes in the electric current flowing through it. Think of it like electrical "inertia." The henry is part of the SI system, which is a worldwide standard for measurements.
Who Was Joseph Henry?
The henry unit is named after a smart American scientist named Joseph Henry (1797–1878). He was one of the first people to discover something very important: electromagnetic induction. This is the idea that changing magnetism can create electricity, and changing electricity can create magnetism.
Around the same time, another scientist named Michael Faraday (1791–1867) in England also discovered electromagnetic induction on his own. Both of their discoveries were very important for understanding how electricity and magnetism work together.
What Does One Henry Mean?
Imagine you have an electrical circuit. If the electric current in that circuit changes by one ampere every second, and this change creates an electromotive force (which is like an electrical push or voltage) of one volt, then the inductance of that circuit is exactly one henry.
In simpler terms, the henry tells us how much "kickback" an electrical component gives when the current through it tries to change. A higher henry value means more kickback.