Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Physics) The resistance of a material to the establishment of a magnetic field within it: Reluctivity is a specific property of a material that quantifies its opposition to being magnetized. It is the reciprocal of magnetic permeability.

Usage

• Reluctivity is a technical term used primarily in physics and electrical engineering, specifically in the study of electromagnetism and magnetic circuits.
• It describes an intrinsic material property, similar to how resistivity describes a material's opposition to electric current.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The high reluctivity of the material makes it unsuitable for use in an efficient electromagnet core.
  • In the calculation, the magnetic reluctance of the circuit is the product of the path length and the material's reluctivity, divided by the cross-sectional area.

Advanced Usage

• "Intrinsic reluctivity": Emphasizes that the property is inherent to the material itself, independent of its shape or size.
  • The intrinsic reluctivity of the alloy was measured under controlled laboratory conditions.

Variants and Related Words

• Reluctance (n): The opposition to magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit, analogous to resistance in an electrical circuit. It depends on both the material's reluctivity and the geometry (length and cross-section) of the magnetic path.
  • The total reluctance of the motor's magnetic circuit was too high, reducing its efficiency.

Synonyms

• Magnetic resistivity: A less common but descriptive synonym highlighting the analogy to electrical resistivity.

Antonyms / Conceptual Opposites

• Permeability (n): The measure of a material's ability to support the formation of a magnetic field within itself. Permeability is the inverse of reluctivity.

Noun

1. (physics) the resistance of a material to the establishment of a magnetic field in it