Which of the following best describes capacitive reactance?

Capacitive reactance is best described as a property that opposes changes in voltage and, consequently, current in an AC circuit. This behavior arises from the nature of capacitors, which store electrical energy in an electric field. When alternating current passes through a capacitor, it creates a phase difference between voltage and current, leading to the capacitor resisting rapid changes in current flow.

As frequency increases, capacitive reactance actually decreases, meaning that capacitors allow more current to pass at higher frequencies. This contrasts with resistive components, which oppose current flow consistently regardless of the frequency. Therefore, stating that capacitive reactance opposes changes in current accurately captures its fundamental characteristic in reactive circuits.