Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: impedance
impedance
a measure of how easily an alternating current can pass through an electrical circuit. The impedance of a resistor is the same as its resistance. Capacitors and inductors also affect impedance, depending on the frequency of the current. The impedance of a capacitor decreases as the frequency increases; the impedance of an inductor increases as the frequencey increases. The characteristic impedance of coaxial cable results from the interaction of its inductance and capacitance. It is not a resistance and cannot be measured with an ohmmeter.
