Q Factor - Definition of The Quality Factor

Definition of The Quality Factor

In the context of resonators, Q is defined in terms of the ratio of the energy stored in the resonator to the energy supplied by a generator, per cycle, to keep signal amplitude constant, at a frequency (the resonant frequency), f_r, where the stored energy is constant with time:

The factor 2π makes Q expressible in simpler terms, involving only the coefficients of the second-order differential equation describing most resonant systems, electrical or mechanical. In electrical systems, the stored energy is the sum of energies stored in lossless inductors and capacitors; the lost energy is the sum of the energies dissipated in resistors per cycle. In mechanical systems, the stored energy is the maximum possible stored energy, or the total energy, i.e. the sum of the potential and kinetic energies at some point in time; the lost energy is the work done by an external conservative force, per cycle, to maintain amplitude.

For high values of Q, the following definition is also mathematically accurate:

where f_r is the resonant frequency, Δf is the half-power bandwidth i.e. the bandwidth over which the power of vibration is greater than half the power at the resonant frequency, ω_r = 2πf_r is the angular resonant frequency, and Δω is the angular half-power bandwidth.

More generally and in the context of reactive component specification (especially inductors), the frequency-dependent definition of Q is used:

where ω is the angular frequency at which the stored energy and power loss are measured. This definition is consistent with its usage in describing circuits with a single reactive element (capacitor or inductor), where it can be shown to be equal to the ratio of reactive power to real power. (See Individual reactive components.)