The reluctance of any part of a magnetic circuit may be defined as the ratio of the drop in magnetomotive force to the flux produced in that part of the circuit. It is measured in ampere-turns/Weber and is denoted by S. Reluctance = m.m.f ⁄ flux
Sudden changes of load on synchronous motors may sometimes set up oscillations that are superimposed upon the normal rotation, resulting in periodic variations of a very low frequency in speed. This effect is known as hunting or phase-swinging.