i know an inductor prevents current from jumping to its maximum. but what happen after that?
An inductor stores energy in a magnetic field induced, around it, by the current flowing thought it. This magnetic field takes time to build up and time to decay. Such an induced magnetic field, resists a change in the current flowing. Thus, if the current flowing though the inductor changes the magnetic field induces a back emf, which resists the change in the current flow. The back emf is given by the equation: - V -LdI __ dt Where 'L' is the self inductance of the inductor with a unit of the henry (H). Hence, an inductor 'resists' a change in current flow so that the voltage across it is always ahead of the current change. This may be remembered using the mnemonic CIVIL, or in a capacitor the current is ahead of the applied voltage and in an inductor the applied voltage is ahead of the current change. Hence, an inductor allows a steady state current to flow but delays the change in any increasing or decaying current! Thus, after a current peaks at maximum, the inductor will cause it to lag behind in its decay to minimum. This means that in an AC circuit an inductor may be coupled with a capacitor to create an oscillatory or resonant circuit.
I believe that it prevent sudden current changesso it will also prevent the stoppage of electrons once the source is turned off (so current slowly dwindles, instead of turning off like a switch) the inductor does not affect the final steady-state value of the current flowing around the circuit, it certainly does affect how long after the switch is closed it takes for this final current to be established.
