Inductors in Series
Inductance values
Add as many as you need; leave a row blank to ignore it.
Total inductance
How to use this calculator
List each inductor's value and unit, then add or remove rows; the total recalculates as you type. Uncoupled inductors in series simply add — L = L₁ + L₂ + … + Lₙ (the same rule as resistors in series, or capacitors in parallel) — so the tool converts everything to henries, sums it, and returns the result in the most readable unit. The total is always at least as large as the biggest inductor.
What the value means in a circuit
Series inductors carry the same current, so their stored magnetic energies add and the total inductance is the sum. This is used to reach a value larger than any single part, to raise a choke's impedance, or to build a variable inductance. One caveat: if the coils are wound on the same core or sit close together, mutual inductance M makes the true total L = L₁ + L₂ ± 2M (aiding or opposing). This tool covers the common case of independent, uncoupled inductors, which is labelled in the result.