hi ya
yes show us some specific examples of inductors in circuits that you don't understand their use.
As I said earlier, transformers are very common uses of inductors, for stepping up and down AC voltages. Your can also use transformers where the number of turns of wire is the same on the primary as on the secondary. This is called a 1:1 transformer and are often used in audio circuits to provide isolation between different stages of a circuit.
BUT just backing up for a moment ... and clarifying a comment you made...
It said 'an inductor generates a magnetic field when current passes through it', I don't see what use that has in the way I see them put into circuits
now just in case you didnt realize, an inductor
DOESNT have to be a coil and
NOT just a coil generates a magnetic field.
EVERY piece of wire or a copper track on PCB that has a current flowing through it produces a magnetic field regardless of if it is coiled or straight.
What the coil does is increases the inductance and it concentrates the magnetic field into a confined area...
Classic example ... an electro-magnet, found in relays and solenoids or the huge electro-magnet on the end of the crane cable at the local scrap metal yard.
In the RF ( Radio Frequency) electronics field where I do most of my professional work and amateur radio experimenting. Particularly at higher frequencies, say above 1 GHz, the inductance of short circuit tracks and lengths of wire can pose real problems that have to be taken into account when designing a circuit layout.
There are some places in a circuit that we want inductance to occur, in other areas we dont.
OK some circuit examples ...
a basic tuned circuit ... an inductor in parallel with a capacitor along with a detector diode and you have a radio receiver...
in this circuit below from my VHF (144MHz) transceiver radio I did a modification so I could inject 12VDC into the coax cable to power a preamplifier up at the antenna.
You can see a number of inductors in this circuit ... L1, 2, 3 and the associated capacitors are filtering of the output to stop harmonics of 144MHz from being radiated.
L6, I added, this inductor will pass the 12V DC, but because of its value, will block the 144MHz transmitted signal from getting into the 12VDC power supply
This is a common use of inductors in RF circuits, these type of inductors are called RF Chokes
there's some uses for you to ponder on. Electronics wouldn't be what it is without inductors
Dave