In electronics, capacitors and inductors have parasitic inductance and capacitance, respectivly. Since a capacitor and inductor in series creates an oscillating circuit , all capacitors and inductors will oscillate when stimulated with a step impulse . The frequency of this oscillation is the self-resonant frequency.
This number is commonly published for each capicitor or inductor by the manufacturer and is useful because only near this frequency will a capacitor or inductor behave as it should.
