Editing LC circuit (section)

{{Short description|Electrical "resonator" circuit, consisting of inductive and capacitive elements with no resistance}}
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[[File:LC parallel simple.svg|thumb|LC circuit diagram]]
{{Linear analog electronic filter|filter1=hide|filter2=hide}}

An '''LC circuit''', also called a '''resonant circuit''', '''tank circuit''', or '''tuned circuit''', is an [[electric circuit]] consisting of an [[inductor]], represented by the letter L, and a [[capacitor]], represented by the letter C, connected together. The circuit can act as an electrical [[resonator]], an electrical analogue of a [[tuning fork]], storing energy oscillating at the circuit's [[resonant frequency]].

LC circuits are used either for generating signals at a particular frequency, or picking out a signal at a particular frequency from a more complex signal; this function is called a [[bandpass filter]]. They are key components in many electronic devices, particularly radio equipment, used in circuits such as [[Electronic oscillator|oscillators]], [[Electronic filter|filters]], [[Tuner (radio)|tuners]] and [[frequency mixer]]s.

An LC circuit is an idealized model since it assumes there is no dissipation of energy due to [[electrical resistance|resistance]]. Any practical implementation of an LC circuit will always include loss resulting from small but non-zero resistance within the components and connecting wires. The purpose of an LC circuit is usually to oscillate with minimal [[damping]], so the resistance is made as low as possible. While no practical circuit is without losses, it is nonetheless instructive to study this ideal form of the circuit to gain understanding and physical intuition. For a circuit model incorporating resistance, see [[RLC circuit]].