What describes the ability to store energy in an electric field?

The ability to store energy in an electric field is fundamentally described by capacitance. Capacitance is a property of a capacitor, which is a device specifically designed to hold and store electric charge. When a voltage is applied across the plates of a capacitor, an electric field is created between them, allowing the capacitor to store energy in the form of an electric field.

The amount of energy stored in a capacitor can be calculated using the formula (E = \frac{1}{2} C V^2), where (E) is the energy stored, (C) is the capacitance, and (V) is the voltage across the capacitor. This relationship highlights not only the function of capacitance in energy storage but also its importance in various applications, such as in smoothing out voltage fluctuations in power supplies or in timing circuits.

The other options, such as inductance, resistance, and tolerance, do not address the ability to store energy in an electric field. Inductance pertains to the storage of energy in a magnetic field when current passes through an inductor. Resistance involves the opposition to the flow of current in a circuit and does not relate to storage. Tolerance refers to the acceptable range of variation in component values