Glossary Definition for Q Factor

Definition

A measure of the quality of a resonant (tank) circuit. A "high-Q" circuit has mostly reactive components (inductive and capacitive), with low resistance. It resonates strongly, with little damping (low loss). A high-Q circuit will have low bandwidth relative to its center frequency (that is, it will have a narrow bandwidth vs frequency curve).

Q = 2 π * (Energy stored / Energy dissipated per cycle)

Synonyms

• Q
• Damping factor
• Quality factor

See Also

• Resonant Circuit
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