What is reactance?

Reactance is the property of an inductor or capacitor that opposes the flow of alternating current (AC). Unlike resistance, which dissipates energy as heat, reactance temporarily stores energy in electric or magnetic fields and returns it to the circuit. Because reactance depends on the frequency of the AC signal, it does not affect steady direct current (DC) in the same way. Therefore, options suggesting it opposes DC flow or somehow reinforces current flow are incorrect.