TRANSIENT RESPONSE OF FIRST ORDER CIRCUITS

(FORCED RESPONSE)
 STEP RESPONSE OF AN RC CIRCUIT
• When a DC source is suddenly turned on, the source voltage or current
can be modeled as a step function.
The step response of a circuit is its behavior when the excitation is the
step function, which may be a voltage or a current source

u(t): Unit-step function

= 0 for t < 0
= 1 for t > 0
(a) (b)
An RC circuit with voltage step input.
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Analysis:
• Consider the RC circuit in Fig. (a) which can be replaced by the circuit
in Fig. (b) for t > 0, where Vs is a constant dc voltage source.
• Select the capacitor voltage v as the circuit response to be determined.
• Assume an initial voltage V0 on the capacitor.
Since, capacitor voltage cannot change instantaneously, v(0 )  v(0 )  V0

(a) (b)

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On applying KCL, dv v Vs u(t)
C  0
dt R
dv v Vsu(t)
 
dt RC RC
where, v is the voltage across the capacitor. For t > 0,
dv v Vs
 
dt RC RC
dv v Vs

dt RC
dv dt

v Vs RC
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On integration, ln(v -V )
s
v(t )
V0
- t t
0
RC
t v Vs t
ln(v(t) -Vs ) - ln(V0 -Vs )  -  0; ln -
RC V0 -Vs RC
Taking exponential on both sides
t
v Vs 
t
 e  ,  RC; v(t)  Vs  (V0 -Vs )e  ,t  0
V0 -Vs

 V0 t0
v(t)   t
Vs  (V0 -Vs )e  t 0
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The complete response (or total response) of the RC circuit to a sudden
application of a dc voltage source, assuming the capacitor is initially
charged to V0 is shown below.
Capacitor voltage

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If the capacitor is uncharged initially i.e. V0  0
 0 t0
v(t)   t
Vs(1- e  ) t  0
t
v(t)  Vs (1- e  )u(t)
This is the complete step response of the RC circuit when the capacitor is
initially uncharged. The current through the capacitor is obtained as,
t
dv C
i(t)  C  Vse  ;   RC; t  0
dt 
t
V
i(t)  s e  u(t)
R
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 i(t)

(a) (b)
Step response of an RC circuit with initially uncharged capacitor
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• It is evident that v(t) has two components.
• There are two ways of decomposing this into two components.
• 1st way: “natural response” + “forced response’’
Complete Response = Natural response (stored energy)
+ Forced response (due to independent source)
t t

v  vn  v f ; vn  V0 (e  ); v f  Vs (1- e  )
• 2nd way: “transient response” + “steady-state response’’
Complete Response = Transient response (dynamics)
+ Steady-state response (dc/static)
t
v  vss  vt ; vss  Vs ; vt  (V0 Vs )e 
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 STEP RESPONSE OF AN RL CIRCUIT
• Find the inductor current i as the circuit response

(a) (b)

Analysis: The response is the sum of the transient response and the
steady-state response, i = it + iss

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• Transient response is always a decaying exponential,
t
L
it  Ae ;  

R
• The steady-state response is the value of the current a long time after
the switch is closed (practically after ~5 time constants).
• The transient response essentially dies out after ~5τ and the inductor
effectively becomes a short circuit (voltage across it is zero).
• The entire source voltage Vs appears across R. Thus, the steady-state
response is t
Vs Vs
iss  ; i  Ae  
R R
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• Determine the constant A from the initial value of i.
• Let I0 be the initial current through the inductor.
i(0 )  i(0  )  I 0
Vs
At t = 0, I 0  A 
R
(a)
Vs
A  I0 
R t
Vs Vs )e 
On substitution, i(t)   (I 0  
R R

This is the complete response of the RL circuit (b)

i(t) = i(∞) + [i(0) − i(∞)]e−t/τ
where, i(0) and i(∞) are the initial and final values of i, respectively.
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 If the switching takes place at time t = t0 instead of t = 0,
i(t) = i(∞) + [i(t0) − i(∞)]e-(t−t )∕τ
0

If I0=0, The voltage across the inductor is,

 0 t0 di Vs L t L
 v(t)  L  e ; = t>0
i(t)  V t
dt  R R
 (1 e  ) t  0
s
R t

V t
v(t)  Vs e  u(t)
i(t)  s (1 e  )u(t)
R
This is the step response of the RL circuit with no initial inductor current.
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 (a) (b)

Step responses of an RL circuit with no initial inductor current

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Problem 1: The switch in given circuit was in position A for a long time.
At t = 0, the switch moves to B. Determine the voltage across the capacitor
at t = 1s and 4s.

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Solution:
For t < 0, the switch is at position A. The capacitor acts like an open
circuit to dc, so v is the same as the voltage across the 5kΩ resistor.
Hence, the voltage across the capacitor before t=0 is obtained by voltage
division as, 5
v(0 ) 

(24)  15V
53
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The capacitor voltage cannot change instantaneously,
v(0) = v(0−) = v( 0+) = 15 V
For t > 0, the switch is in position B. Thevenin resistance connected to the
capacitor is RTh = 4 kΩ, and the time constant is,
τ = RThC = 4 × 103 × 0.5 × 10−3 = 2 s
v(∞) = 30 V (capacitor acts like an open circuit to dc in steady state)

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 Thus, v(t) = v(∞) + [v(0) − v(∞)]e-t/τ
= 30 + (15 − 30)e-t/2
= (30 − 15e-0.5t ) V
At t = 1, v(1) = 30 − 15 e-0.5 = 20.9 V
At t = 4, v(4) = 30 − 15e-2 = 27.97 V
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Problem 2: In the circuit below, the switch has been closed for a
long time and is opened at t = 0. Find i and v for all time.

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Solution:

Note: The resistor current i can be discontinuous at t=0,

while the capacitor voltage v has to be continuous.

Hence, it is always better to find v and then obtain i from v.

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For t < 0:

0 t0
By definition of the unit step function, 30u(t)  
30 t  0
v
For t < 0, v  10V,i    1A
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The capacitor voltage cannot change instantaneously, v(0)  v(0 )  10V

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For t > 0, the 10V voltage source is disconnected and the 30V voltage
source is now operative

v(∞) is obtained using voltage division,

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v()  (30)  20V
20 10

The Thevenin resistance at the capacitor terminals is RTh = 10∥20 = 20/3 Ω

20 1 5
Time constant is   RTh C  .  s
3 4 3
Thus, v(t) = v(∞) + [v(0) − v(∞) ]e−t/τ
= 20 + (10 − 20)e−(3∕5)t = (20 − 10e−0.6t) V
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i is the sum of the currents through the 20-Ω resistor and the capacitor,
v dv
i C
20 dt
i = 1 − 0.5e−0.6t + 0.25(−0.6)(−10)e−0.6t = (1 + e−0.6t) A
Or v + 10i = 30 (KVL in outer loop)

 10V t0
v 0.6t
 (20 10e )V t  0
 1A t0
i
 (1 e 0.6t
)A t  0
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Problem 3: Find i(t) in the circuit below for t > 0. Assume that the switch
has been closed for a long time before opening.

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Solution:
For t < 0, the 3-Ω resistor is short-
circuited, and the inductor acts like
a short circuit. The current through the
inductor at t = 0− is i(0−) = 10/2 = 5A

Since inductor current cannot change

instantaneously i(0)  i(0  )  i(0  )  5A

For t > 0, the 3-Ω resistor comes in series with the 2-Ω resistor
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The steady-state inductor current is i()   2A
23
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The Thevenin resistance across the inductor terminals is
RTH = 2 + 3 = 5 Ω
1
L 1
Time constant   3
  s
RTH 5 15

i(t) = i(∞) + [i(0) − i(∞)]e−t/τ

= 2 + (5 − 2)e−15t
= 2 + 3e−15t A, t > 0
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Problem 4: At t = 0, switch 1 is closed, and switch 2 is closed 4 s later.
Find i(t) for t > 0. Calculate i at t = 2 s and t = 5 s.

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Solution:
Solve for the three time intervals t ≤ 0, 0 ≤ t ≤ 4, and t ≥ 4 separately.
For t < 0, switches S1 and S2 are open so that i = 0. Since the inductor
current cannot change instantly, i(0)  i(0 )  i(0 )  0A
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For 0 ≤ t ≤ 4, S1 is closed so that the 4-Ω and
6-Ω resistors are in series.
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i()   4 A; RTh  4  6  10
46
L 5 1
   s
RTH 10 2

Thus i(t) = i(∞) + [i(0) − i(∞)]e−t/τ

= 4 + (0 − 4)e−2t = 4(1 − e−2t) A

For t ≥ 4, S1 and S2 are closed; the 10-V voltage source is also connected
into the circuit. The initial current is, i(4) = 4(1 − e−8) ≃ 4 A
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To find i(∞), let v be the voltage at node P,
Using KCL, 40  v  10  v  v ; v  180 V
4 2 6 11
v 30
i()    2.72A
6 11

The Thevenin resistance at the inductor

terminals is RTh = 4∥2 + 6 = (22/3)Ω

Time constant
L 5 15 i(t) = i(∞) + [i(4) − i(∞)]e−(t−4)/τ , for t ≥ 4
   s
RTH 22 22 = 2.727 + (4 − 2.727)e−(t−4)/τ (τ = 15/22)
3
= 2.727 + 1.273e−1.4667(t−4)
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Putting everything together,

 0 t0

i(t)  4(1 e )
2t
0t 4
2.727 1.273e 1.4667(t 4) t4


At t = 2s, i(2) = 4(1 − e−4) = 3.93 A

At t = 5s, i(5) = 2.727 + 1.273e−1.4667 = 3.02 A

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 EXERCISE AND NUMERICAL EXAMPLES
Source Free RC Circuit
Problem 5: Find the time constant for the RC circuit.

Ans: τ = 60 × 50×10-3 = 3 s
Problem 6: The switch in Fig. has been in position A for a long time.
Assume the switch moves instantaneously from A to B at t = 0. Find v for t
> 0.

Ans: v(t) =40e-50t V

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Problem 7:The switch in Fig. has been closed for a long time, and it opens
at t = 0. Find v(t) for t ≥ 0.

Ans: v(t) =10e-12.5t V

Problem 8:For the circuit in Fig., find vo(t) for t > 0. Determine the time
necessary for the capacitor voltage to decay to one-third of its value at t =
0.

Ans: v0(t) =9e-16.67t V

t = 65.92 ms 33
 Source Free RL Circuit
3
Problem 9:In the circuit, v(t)  80e 10 t V, t > 0,
3

i(t)  5e10 t mA, t > 0

(a) Find R, L, and τ.
(b) Calculate the energy dissipated in the resistance for 0 < t < 0.5 ms.

Ans: (a) 16 kΩ, 16 H, 1 ms

(b) 126.42 µJ

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Problem 10: Find the time constant for each of the circuits.

(a) (b)
Ans: (a) RTh=10 Ω, τ= 500 ms (b) RTh = 80 Ω, τ= 250 µs
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Problem 11: Consider the circuit. Find vo(t) if i(0) = 6 A and v(t) = 0.

Ans: vo(t)=-6e–16tu(t) V

Problem 12: For the circuit, v = 90 e −50t V and i = 30 e −50t A, t > 0

(a) Find L and R.
(b) Determine the time constant.
(c) Calculate the initial energy in the
inductor.
(d) What fraction of the initial energy
is Dissipated in 10 ms?
Ans: L=60 mH,R= 3 Ω, τ=20ms, W=27J, energy dissipated in the first 10 ms=63.21% 36
 Step Response of an RC Circuit
Problem 13: Find the capacitor voltage for t < 0 and t > 0 for each of the
circuits.

(a) (b)
Ans: v(t)=4+8e–t/6 V, v(t)=12V
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Problem 14:
(a)If the switch in Fig. has been open for a long time and is closed at t = 0,
find vo(t).
(b)Suppose that the switch has been closed for a long time and is opened
at t = 0. Find vo(t).

Ans: (a) v0(t)=8(1-e–0.25t )V, (b) v0(t)=8e–t/12 V

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Problem 15:The switch in Fig. has been in position ‘a’ for a long time. At
t = 0, it moves to position ‘b’. Calculate i(t) for all t > 0.

Ans: i(t) = -6 e–0.25t A

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Problem 16: Determine v(t) for t > 0 in the circuit, if v(0) = 0.

Ans: v(t) = 24(1-e-t )V, 0<t<1

30-14.83e-(t-1) V, t>1

Problem 17: Find v(t) and i(t) in the circuit

Ans: v(t) = 10e-t/3 V

i(t)=(-1/3)e-t/3 A

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 Step Response of an RL Circuit
Problem 18: Obtain the inductor current ‘i(t)’ for both t < 0 and t > 0 in
each of the circuits.

(a) (b)

Ans: i(t) = 5e-t/2 u(t) A, i(t)=6e-2t/3 u(t) A

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Problem 19: For the network shown, find v(t) for t > 0.

Ans: v(t) = -4e-20t A

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Problem 20: Find i1(t) and i2(t) for t > 0 in the circuit.

Ans: i1(t) = 2.4e-2t u(t) A,

i2(t)=600e-5t u(t) mA

Problem 21: In the circuit, is changes from 5 A to 10 A at t = 0; that is, is

= 5u(−t) + 10u(t). Find v and i.

Ans: i(t) = (10-5e-8t) u(t) A,

v(t)=20e-8t u(t) V

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