Which phenomenon allows energy to transfer between circuits without a direct conductor?

• A. Capacitance
• B. Induction
• C. Resistance
• D. Conduction

Answer: (B)

Energy transfer between circuits without a direct conductor happens through induction. When current in one circuit changes, it creates a changing magnetic field that links to a nearby circuit. This changing magnetic flux induces a voltage in the second circuit, allowing energy to flow even though no wire connects the two circuits. This is exactly how transformers work and why wireless power transfer is possible—the energy moves through the space around the conductors via the magnetic field, not through a shared conductor.

Capacitance involves energy stored in an electric field between conductors separated by a dielectric, which can also enable energy exchange without a direct metal connection, but the scenario described—transferring energy between circuits via a field without a direct conductor—points to induction as the primary mechanism. Conduction and resistance require a physical path through a conductor, so they don’t fit the condition of transferring energy without a direct connection.