What property affects the rate at which current flows in an electrical circuit?

The rate at which current flows in an electrical circuit is primarily influenced by resistance. Resistance is a property of a material that determines how much it opposes the flow of electric current. When a voltage is applied across a circuit, the current that flows is inversely proportional to the resistance according to Ohm's law, which states that current (I) equals voltage (V) divided by resistance (R): I = V/R. This relationship highlights the critical role that resistance plays in regulating the flow of current.

In circuits, higher resistance means less current will flow for a given voltage, while lower resistance allows more current to pass through. Therefore, understanding resistance is key to predicting how much current will move in response to voltage applied in an electrical circuit. Other properties like capacitance and inductance relate to different aspects of circuit behavior — such as energy storage and reactance — but they do not directly determine the flow rate of current in the same way resistance does.