To study response of circuits having

energy storing elements

First Order – Natural Response(RLC Series

Circuit)

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Types of Circuits

• A circuit that contains only sources, resistors and an

inductor is called an RL circuit.

• A circuit that contains only sources, resistors and a

capacitor is called an RC circuit.

• Circuits with ONLY ONE capacitor OR ONLY ONE

inductor can be defined by a first order differential
equation

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Types of Circuits

RL and RC circuits are called first-order circuits because

their voltages and currents are described by first-order
differential equations.

The natural response of an RL or RC circuit is its behavior

(i.e., current and voltage) when stored energy in the
inductor or capacitor is released to a Resistor.

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First Order Circuits – Natural Response

Consider the following circuit, for which the switch is closed for t <
0, and then opened at t = 0:

The voltage source here, V. The switch was closed for t < 0. This
means that the resistors are in series since for t < 0, it is a DC
circuit, capacitor behaves as an open circuit.

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Thus by voltage division

Now consider that switch S opens at t = 0 and remains open

for t > 0.
Now, when the switch opens, this voltage can’t change
instantaneously, then the voltage across a capacitor remains
constant at t = 0.
That is

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In the following circuit

By KCL, Or

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The above equation may be written as

Dividing both sides by v

By the chain rule of calculus

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Converting ln to e

Substituting this value, we get

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 Time constant
• The initial condition for the capacitor is the voltage before
the time of switching. This is one of the key parameters of this
solution.

• The equation has an exponential, with RC in the denominator.

The exponent must be dimensionless, so RC must have units
of time. We call this quantity the time constant.

• The time constant is the inverse of the coefficient of time, in

the exponent. We call this quantity t. This is the other key
parameter of this solution.

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The time constant, or t, is the time that it takes the
solution to decrease by a factor of 1/e.

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 Resistor current
Resistor current for t  0 can be determined

current through the capacitor for t  0 is

Or,

At t = 0, the capacitor is charged to v (0) volts

At t > 0, the capacitor discharges through resistor

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 Drill Ex 3.8
For the given circuit determine the capacitor voltage and current
for the resulting circuit for the case that the applied current is
described.

1Ω

+ v - ic
+

3Ω vC
is (1/12)F
–

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For t < 0, iS = 2 A and the circuit is a dc circuit
\ iC = 0 A , v = 1 x iC = 0 V

\ vC = 3 iS = 3 x 2 = 6 V

\ Hence, vC (0) = 6 V

For t > 0, iS = 0
1 dvC vC dvC
 0  3vC 0
By KCL, 12 dt 4 Or dt

 vC (t) = vC (0) e-3t = 6 e-3t V

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 1 dvC 1 d 1 3  3t
iC  
12 dt 12 dt
6e    18e   e A
 3t

12
 3t

2
Thus vC  6 for t < 0 and 6 e-3t for t  0

3  3t
And iC = 0 for t < 0 and  e A for t  0
2

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 First Order RL circuit
Consider the following circuit, for which the switch is closed for t <
0, and then opened at t = 0:

The switch was closed for t < 0. The inductor behaves as a short
circuit.
\ v = 0 Volts and the voltage & current across R is also 0.

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For t > 0, switch S is open
By KVL,

The solution of the above equation

Alternatively

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 Time Constant t

L
Define the time constant  
R
– At t = t, the current has reduced to 1/e (~0.37) of its initial value.
– At t = 5t, the current has reduced to less than 1% of its initial value.

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 Drill Ex 3.9

Determine the inductor current and voltage for the case that the
applied voltage is as described.

(1/3)Ω + iL
+ 1Ω (1/12)H
VS  vL
i –

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For t < 0, vS = 2 V and the circuit is a dc circuit
\ vL = 0 V , i = vL / 1 = 0 A

\ iL = vS /(1/3) = 3 x 2 = 6 A

\ Hence, iL (0) = 6 A

\ For t  0, vS = 10 V
vS 0  i  iL  vL
3
By KVL, and i = v L / 1
1 diL
vL 
12 dt
Also

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1 1 4 1
vL  iL  vL 0and vL  iL 0
3 3 3 3
4  1 diL  1 diL
   iL 0  3iL 0
3  12 dt  3 dt
The solution of the above equation
 iL (t) = iL (0) e-3t = 6 e-3t A
1 diL 1 d
vL  
12 dt 12 dt
6e  3t 

1 3  3t
  18e   e V
 3t

12 2
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Natural Response Summary
RL Circuit RC Circuit

i +
L C v
–

Capacitor voltage cannot

Inductor current cannot change change instantaneously
instantaneously

i (0 ) i (0 ) 
v(0  ) v(0  )
i (t ) i (0)e  t / v(t ) v(0)e  t /
L time constant  RC

time constant R
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Thank you

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