Final answer:
An inductor is the type of circuit element that opposes rates of change of voltage due to its property of self-inductance, resisting changes in current.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of circuit element that opposes rates of change of voltage is an inductor. An inductor resists changes in the current and, by extension, the changes in voltage across it due to its property of self-inductance. When current through an inductor changes, a changing magnetic field is created, which in turn induces an electromotive force (EMF) opposing the change in current, according to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. This opposition is known as inductive reactance, which is a key characteristic of an inductor in an AC circuit. Ohm's law for an inductor is different from that of a resistor, and it specifically addresses the AC resistance, or the inductive reactance, which impedes the change in current.