What is the typical effect of an increased inductive reactance in an AC circuit?

In an AC circuit, inductive reactance opposes the flow of alternating current, which results in specific effects based on the characteristics of inductive loads. When there is increased inductive reactance, the primary consequence is that current lags behind the voltage in phase, leading to a higher phase angle distortion.

This lag occurs because inductors resist changes in current due to their stored magnetic energy. As the inductive reactance increases, the angle by which the current lags the voltage increases as well, which can distort the relationship between voltage and current. Essentially, it indicates that the power factor—the cosine of the phase angle—becomes lower, suggesting inefficiency in the circuit.

In terms of the other options, increased current flow is not a typical effect since the rise in inductive reactance generally limits the current in the circuit. Decreased voltage may sometimes occur in specific conditions, but increased inductive reactance doesn't inherently result in voltage reduction across the circuit. Lastly, current leading voltage is characteristic of capacitive reactance, not inductive; in scenarios with increased inductive reactance, the current lags instead.