Inductor Energy Storage Calculator

Our inductor energy storage calculator is the perfect tool to calculate the energy stored in an inductor/solenoid.

Keep reading to learn more about:

• What an inductor is and how it works;
• How to calculate the energy stored in an inductor;
• What is the formula for energy stored in a solenoid; and
• More about inductors!

One of the basic electronic components is an inductor. An inductor is a coil of wire that is used to store energy in the form of a magnetic field, similar to capacitors, which store energy in the electrical field between their plates (see our capacitor energy calculator).

When current flows through an inductor, it creates a magnetic field around the inductor. This magnetic field stores energy, and as the current increases, so does the amount of energy stored.

The energy is released back into the circuit when the current stops flowing. This ability to store energy makes inductors incredibly useful in many electronic circuits!

To find the energy stored in an inductor, we use the following formula:

$E = \frac{1}{2}LI^{2}$

where:

• $L$ is the inductance of the inductor;
• $I$ is the current flowing through it; and
• $E$ is the energy stored in the magnetic field created by the inductor.

Using this inductor energy storage calculator is straightforward: just input any two parameters from the energy stored in an inductor formula, and our tool will automatically find the missing variable!

Example: finding the energy stored in a solenoid

Assume we want to find the energy stored in a 10 mH solenoid when direct current flows through it.

Let's say a 250 mA current.

Then, according to the energy stored in an inductor formula, all we need to do is square the current, multiply it by the inductance, and divide the result by two.

Before plugging everything into the formula, we need to convert the units accordingly:

I = 250 mA = 0.25 A

L = 10 mH = 0.01 H

Now we can replace the variables:

$E = \frac{1}{2}LI^{2} = \frac{0.01\times 0.25^{2}}{2} = 0.0003125\ \text{J}$