The ability of a material to store energy in an electric field is referred to as what?

The correct answer is capacitance. Capacitance is the property of a material or component that allows it to store electrical energy in an electric field when a voltage is applied across it. This is a fundamental concept in electrical engineering, particularly relevant in the context of capacitors, which are devices designed specifically for this purpose.

When a capacitor is charged, it separates positive and negative charges, creating an electric field between the plates. The amount of charge it can store per unit voltage defines its capacitance, typically measured in farads. The ability to store this energy and release it when needed is key in various applications, such as in power supply circuits, filtering applications, and timing circuits.

The other choices refer to different electrical characteristics: inductance relates to the ability to store energy in a magnetic field, resistance pertains to the opposition to current flow, and reactance describes the opposition that inductors and capacitors offer to alternating current due to their capacitance and inductance. Each of these properties plays a unique role in electrical circuits, but they do not represent the ability to store energy in an electric field.