Which term describes a circuit's ability to store an electrical charge?

The term that best describes a circuit's ability to store an electrical charge is capacitance. Capacitance refers to the capability of a capacitor to hold an electric charge when a voltage is applied across its plates. The measurement unit for capacitance is the farad, which quantifies how much charge a capacitor can store per unit voltage.

When a capacitor is connected in a circuit, it can accumulate electrical energy in the form of an electric field created between its plates. This stored charge can later be released back into the circuit when needed, making capacitors essential components in various applications, including timing circuits, filters, and energy storage devices.

The other terms have different meanings and functions in electrical circuits. Impedance relates to the total opposition to current flow in an AC circuit, combining resistance and reactance. Inductance is the property of a circuit element (usually a coil or inductor) that opposes changes in current flow and stores energy in a magnetic field. Reactance is the opposition to the change of current or voltage due to capacitors and inductors but does not store charge like capacitance.