Lead (electronics)

For many circuit designs it can be assumed that the leads do not contribute to the electrical effects of individual components. However, this assumption begins to break down at higher frequencies and at very small scales. These effects come from the physical construction of the leads. The leads are often metal connections that run from the rest of the circuit to the materials that each component is made of. This design results in a very small capacitance between the ends of the leads where they connect to the device and very small inductances and resistances along each lead. Because the impedance of each component is a function of the frequency of the signals being passed through the device and the inductance and capacitance of the device, the leads can cause substantial variation in the properties of components in radio frequency circuits. == See also ==