Engineering English
Resonance
Electrical Engineering · Engineering Fundamentals · Mechanical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Resonance in an AC circuit occurs when the inductive reactance and capacitive reactance are equal in magnitude, causing the impedance to be purely resistive. At resonance, the circuit's current is maximum in a series RLC circuit or minimum in a parallel RLC circuit.
Example in context
“The engineer tuned the RLC circuit to achieve resonance at 60 Hz, ensuring maximum current flow through the load for efficient power transfer.”
“Mühendis, verimli güç aktarımı için yükten maksimum akım akışını sağlamak amacıyla RLC devresini 60 Hz'de rezonansa ayarladı.”
Where engineers use it
Resonance is critical in designing filters, oscillators, and tuning circuits for communication and power systems. Engineers must understand resonance to avoid destructive overvoltages or to achieve selective frequency response.
Synonyms: series resonance, parallel resonance, tuned circuit
Antonyms: antiresonance
In Engineering Fundamentals
A physical phenomenon where a system oscillates with large amplitude at a specific frequency, known as its natural frequency, due to applied periodic excitation. It occurs when the driving frequency matches the system's natural frequency.
“The bridge's design had to avoid resonance with wind-induced vibrations by adjusting its natural frequency away from the vortex shedding frequency.”
In Mechanical Engineering
The condition in which a periodic excitation frequency coincides with a system's natural frequency, causing vibration amplitudes to grow dramatically.
“The compressor skid vibrated violently at 1450 rpm because the operating speed hit resonance with the frame's natural frequency.”
Practice: can you use “Resonance” at work?
A trainee is given a series RLC circuit with variable capacitor and inductor values. They must calculate the resonant frequency and explain how the impedance changes near resonance.
Show a model answer
“Determine the resonant frequency of the RLC circuit to maximize the output voltage.”
“Resonance” in 21 languages
| English | Resonance |
|---|---|
| Turkish | rezonans |
| French | résonance |
| German | Resonanz |
| Spanish | resonancia |
| Chinese | 谐振 |
| Arabic | الرنين |
| Portuguese | ressonância |
| Russian | резонанс |
| Japanese | 共振 |
| Italian | risonanza |
| Vietnamese | cộng hưởng |
| Hindi | अनुनाद |
| Thai | การสั่นพ้อง |
| Indonesian | resonansi |
| Korean | 공진 |
| Bengali | অনুনাদ |
| Dutch | resonantie |
| Swedish | resonans |
| Finnish | resonanssi |
| Ukrainian | резонанс |
Frequently asked questions
What does Resonance mean in engineering?
Resonance in an AC circuit occurs when the inductive reactance and capacitive reactance are equal in magnitude, causing the impedance to be purely resistive. At resonance, the circuit's current is maximum in a series RLC circuit or minimum in a parallel RLC circuit. In Electrical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Resonance?
Resonance is pronounced /ˈrɛzənəns/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Resonance used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The engineer tuned the RLC circuit to achieve resonance at 60 Hz, ensuring maximum current flow through the load for efficient power transfer.”
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