Impedance and reactance

To toss another 2-cents in here .... and boil down the maths:

  • the basic formula is V = I * R for simple resistors, and V = I * Z for impedances
    [circuits with inductors and capacitors].

  • with resistors, voltage and current are always in phase with each other.

  • with inductors and capacitors, voltage and current are out of phase with
    each other, so it takes more complicated maths [involving both magnitude
    and phase] to solve the equations [as the other tutorials indicated].