Total opposition to current flow in an alternating current circuit is referred to as?

Total opposition to current flow in an alternating current (AC) circuit is known as impedance. Impedance encompasses both the resistance and reactance present in the circuit. Resistance is the opposition to direct current and is measured in ohms, while reactance refers to the opposition to current flow caused by the circuit's inductance or capacitance, also measured in ohms but exclusive to AC circuits.

In AC circuits, components can store energy in magnetic or electric fields, which affects how the circuit behaves over time. Impedance combines these effects, making it a more comprehensive measure of opposition in AC systems. This aggregation of resistance and reactance is essential for analyzing and designing circuits that operate on alternating current, as it helps predict how current behaves under varying frequencies.

The other options, while related to electrical concepts, do not encapsulate the total opposition in the same manner. Resistance pertains exclusively to resistive components, reactance combines only inductive and capacitive opposition, and capacitance specifically refers to the ability of a component to store charge, not directly signifying opposition to current flow. Thus, impedance is the broadest and most fitting term for total opposition to current in an AC circuit.