6/2/2021 526476616.

doc 1/4

Admittance
As an alternative to impedance Z, we can define a complex
parameter called admittance Y:

I
Y 
V

where V and I are complex voltage and current, respectively.

Clearly, admittance and impedance are not independent

parameters, and are in fact simply geometric inverses of each
other:
1 1
Y  Z 
Z Y

Thus, all the impedance parameters that we have studied can

be likewise expressed in terms of admittance, e.g.:

1 1 1
Y z   YL  Yin 
Z z  ZL Zin

Moreover, we can define the characteristic admittance Y0 of a

transmission line as:
I  z 
Y0  
V z 

And thus it is similarly evident that characteristic impedance

and characteristic admittance are geometric inverses:

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

6/2/2021 526476616.doc 2/4

1 1
Y0  Z0 
Z0 Y0

As a result, we can define a normalized admittance value y  :

Y
y 
Y0

An therefore (not surprisingly) we find:

Y Z0 1
y   
Y0 Z z

Note that we can express normalized impedance and

admittance more compactly as:

y   Y Z0 and z   Z Y0

Now since admittance is a complex value, it has both a real and

imaginary component:

Y  G  jB

where:
Re Y   G  Conductance

Im  Z   B  Susceptance

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

6/2/2021 526476616.doc 3/4

Now, since Z  R  jX , we can state that:

1
G  jB 
R  jX

Q: Yes yes, I see, and from this

we can conclude:

and

and so forth. Please speed this up

and quit wasting my valuable time
making such obvious statements!

A: NOOOO! We find that G  1 R and B  1 X

(generally). Do not make this mistake!

In fact, we find that

1 R  jX
G  jB 
R  jX R  jX
R  jX

R2  X 2
R X
 2  j
R X2 R2  X 2

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

6/2/2021 526476616.doc 4/4

Thus, equating the real and imaginary parts we find:

R X
G  and B
R2  X 2 R2  X 2

Note then that IF X  0 (i.e., Z  R ), we get, as expected:

1
G  and B 0
R

And that IF R  0 (i.e., Z  R ), we get, as expected:

1
G 0 and B
X

II wish
wish II had
had aa
nickel
nickel for
for every
every
time
time my
my software
software
has
has crashed—oh
crashed—oh
wait,
wait, II do!
do!

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS