What happens to capacitive reactance as frequency increases?

Capacitive reactance is the opposition that a capacitor presents to alternating current (AC) and is determined by the formula:

[ X_c = \frac{1}{2\pi f C} ]

where ( X_c ) is the capacitive reactance, ( f ) is the frequency of the AC signal, and ( C ) is the capacitance of the capacitor. From this formula, it is clear that capacitive reactance is inversely proportional to frequency.

As frequency increases, the denominator of the formula (2πf) becomes larger, which results in a smaller overall value for ( X_c ). Therefore, as the frequency increases, the capacitive reactance decreases. This means that at higher frequencies, the capacitor allows more current to pass through it, exhibiting less opposition to the AC flow. This fundamental relationship is crucial in understanding how capacitors behave in different frequency environments, particularly in AC circuits.