What is the term used to describe the ability of a magnetic field to penetrate a material?

The ability of a magnetic field to penetrate a material is known as permeability. This term specifically refers to the measure of how easily a magnetic field can pass through a material, which is crucial in understanding how various materials respond to magnetic fields.

Permeability depends on the type of material and is a critical factor in determining the efficiency of inductive devices such as transformers and inductors, where magnetic fields play a vital role in their operation. Materials with high permeability allow magnetic lines of flux to pass through them with little resistance, enabling effective application in electrical systems.

In contrast, inductance, impedance, and capacitance refer to different electrical properties—inductance pertains to the ability of a coil to store energy in a magnetic field, impedance combines resistance and reactance in an AC circuit, and capacitance is related to the ability of a component to store electric charge. Each of these properties is essential in their specific contexts but do not relate to the penetration of magnetic fields in the way that permeability does.