ELECTRICAL SCIENCES - I

01.09.08

Lecture 12

OBJECTIVES
NATURAL & COMPLETE RESPONSE OF

FIRST-ORDER CIRCUITS

First-Order Circuits :There are two types of responses.

1. Natural Response (or Transient Response) :- It depends
on nature of elements and their interconnection.
2. Forced Response :- It depends up on excitation of the
circuit and is expressed as complementary function
Rg
S

t<0 s
+

+
V

C
ic

t<0s

R
iR

 Switch S closed Short circuit.

For t<0 s, this circuit is a dc-circuit, the capacitor
behaves as an open circuit.

By voltage division,
v(t) = R.V/(R+ Rg)
This is initial condition.

for t<0 s

Rg
+
V

t0s
+
C
ic

R
iR

Figure
t 0 s2
Switch S opened Open circuit at t=0 s.
Switch S opened at t=0 s (instantaneously) and remains
open for t0 s.

Since voltage across capacitor can not change

instantaneously, the voltage remains the same at t=0 s, that
is,
v(0) = R.V/(R+Rg)
What is v(t) for t>0 s ?
To find answer to this question
By K.C.L.,
iC + iR = 0
In terms of voltage, we write
C.(dv/dt) + (v/R) = 0

In this equation, variable is v(t) and therefore dv(t)/dt

i.e., first derivative.
For this reason this equation is first-order differential
equation.
Further, the describing equation is homogeneous, linear
differential equation, because every non-zero term is of
first degree in the dependent variable v and its derivative.
Note that coefficients of v and its derivative are
constants.

To find v(t), that satisfies the describing equation and the

initial condition, let us rearrange describing equation as
(dv/dt) = (1/RC).v
Separating variables i.e., dividing both sides with by v,
(1/v).(dv/dt) = (1/RC)

Integrating both sides with respect to time,

(1/v).(dv/dt).dt = (1/RC).dt
By Chain rule of calculus, we change integrating variable
on Left Hand Side as
(1/v).dv.dt/dt = (1/v).dv = (1/RC).dt

 ln v(t) = (1/RC).t + K
where K is a constant of integration.
Taking exponent on both sides,
eln v(t) = e (t/RC + K)
v(t) = e(t/RC).eK
Use initial condition to determine K.
At t=0 s,
v(0) = e0.eK = eK
Substituting eK = v(0) in expression for v(t), we get
v(t) = v(0).e(t/RC)

for t0 s

As shown earlier,
v(0) = [R/(R+Rg)] . V

volts

Sketch of v(t) for t0 s is shown below.

v(t) = v(0).e-t/RC

v(0)

v(0).e-1=0.368.v(0)
v(0).e-2=0.135.v(0)
v(0).e-3=0.050.v(0)
0

1RC

2RC 3RC

4RC

We see that initially (at t=0 s) the capacitor is charged to

v(0) volts, and for t>0 s, the capacitor discharges through
the resistor exponentially.
Resistor current for t0 s is
iR(t) = v(t)/R = v(0).e(t/RC) / R
Current through capacitor for t0 s is
iC(t) = iR(t) = (v(0)/R).e(t/RC)
Or

iC(t) = C.(dv(t)/dt) = C.d(v(0).e(t/RC))/dt

iC(t) = C.(1/RC).v(0).e (t/RC)
iC(t) = (v(0)/R).e( t/RC)

 Energy stored in capacitor is at t=0 s is

wC(t) = C.v2(0)/2 J
Energy initially stored in the capacitor is eventually
dissipated as heat by resistor.
The power absorbed by the resistor is
pR(t) = R.iR2(t) = R.(v(0).e(t/RC)/R)2
pR = (v2(0).e(2t/RC)/R)

Total energy absorbed by R is

wR = pR(t).dt = (v2(0).e(2t/RC)/R).dt = C.v2(0)/2

0
0
wR = wC(0)
Now RC = Time constant of circuit = (seconds)
v(t) = v(0).e(t/ )
Natural Response : For t0 s, the battery has no effect on the circuit.
Therefore the circuit behaves on its own, i.e., behaves
naturally.
The expressions for v(t) and i(t) for t0 s are said to
give/describe NATURAL RESPONSE of the circuit.

Example :- For the circuit shown the switch opens at time

t=0 s. Find v1(t), v2(t), i1(t), i2(t) and v(t) for all time?
3
t=0 s

+ v1
+ (1/12) F

+
10 V

i1

i2
(1/4) F

+
v2

For t<0 s, the circuit is shown below :

3
+ v1
+ (1/12) F
+
10 V

i1

i2
(1/4) F

+
v2

For dc, the capacitors are open circuited.

Thus i1(t) = i2(t) = 0A; Also v(t) = 10 V

By voltage division
v1(t) = 3.10/(3+2) = 6 V
v2(t) = 2.10/(3+2) = 4 V
v1(0) = 6 V, v2(0) = 4 V and
v(0) = v1(0) + v2(0) = 6+4 = 10 V
For t0 s, the circuit is shown below :
3
0A

+ v1
+ (1/12) F

+
10 V

v
0A

i1

0A

i2
(1/4) F

+
v2

By K.C.L.,
(1/12).(dv1/dt) + (v1/3) = 0 & (1/4).(dv2/dt) + (v2/2) = 0
(dv1/dt) + 4.v1 = 0

&

(dv2/dt) + 2.v2 = 0

v1(t) = v1(0).e(4t) = 6.e(4t) V

v2(t) = v2(0).e(2t) = 4.e(2t) V
Thus,
and

i1(t) = (1/12).[d(6.e(4t))/dt] = 2.e(4t) A

i2(t) = (1/4).[d(4.e(2t))/dt] = 2.e(2t) A

By K.V.L., v(t) = v1(t) + v2(t) = 6.e(4t) + 4.e(2t) V

Hence,
v1(t) = 6 V
v1(t) = 6.e(4t) V

for
for

t<0 s
t0 s

v2(t) = 4 V
v2(t) = 4.e(2t) V

for
for

t<0 s
t0 s

i1(t) = 0 A
i1(t) = 2.e(4t) A

for
for

t<0 s
t0 s

i2(t) = 0 A
i2(t) = 2.e(2t) A

for
for

t<0 s
t0 s

v(t) = 10 V

for

t<0 s

(4t)

(2t)

Summary
First Order Circuit R-C ckt, exhibits natural
response on removing excitation
The exact response is determined by time constant
of the circuit
Natural response refers to exponential decay of
energy stored in the capacitor through resistor
The response of L-R ckt is determined in a similar
fashion.

COMPLETE RESPONSE OF
FIRST-ORDER CIRCUITS

Review :-

Complete response of first order circuits which include

a) Non-homogeneous first-order differential
equation.
b) Linearity and Time invariance

First-Order Circuits

The Complete Response :-

Consider RC circuit shown below :

+ vR

b
+
V

S
a

+
vS

R
C
i

+
vC

 The switch S moves in zero time from a to b at time

t=0 s
vs (t)=0 t<0 s
vs (t)= V t0 s
Let us define a function u(t), called the unit step
function, by
u(t) = 0
for t<0 s
u(t) = 1
for t0 s
Hence we can write vs(t) as the product of V and u(t).
i.e.,

vs(t) = V.u(t)

This function is depicted in figure shown below :

vs(t) = V.u(t)

V
t

When the voltage vs(t) = V.u(t) is applied to a series

RC combination, the resulting voltage v(t) and current
i(t) are called step responses.
Describing equation using nodal analysis by K.C.L. is
[V.u(t) vC]/R = C.(dvC/dt)

 (dvC/dt) + (1/RC).vC = (V/RC).u(t)

Solution to this differential equation for t<0 s is
vC(t) = 0
For t0 s, equation is
(dvC/dt) + (1/RC).vC = (V/RC)

Since u(t)=1 for t0 s.

This is first-order non-homogeneous differential

equation.
The solution is called complete solution which is sum of
natural response and forced response.

The solution to this differential equation is

vC(t) = (V/RC)/(1/RC) + A.e(t/RC) = V + A.e(t/RC)
where A is constant of integration to be determined from
initial condition.
We know that
vC(t) = 0
for t<0 s
and the voltage across a capacitor can not change
instantaneously, then
vC(0) = 0 V

Thus at t=0 s from above, solution becomes

vC(0) = V + A.(e0) = 0
A = V
The voltage across the capacitor is
vC(t) = V V.e(t/RC) = V.(1 e(t/RC))
Combining this result with the fact that
vC(t) = 0 V for t<0 s,
we can express solution for all t as
vC(t) = V.(1 e(t/RC)).u(t)

for t0 s

The sketch of this waveform is shown on below.

vC(t)=V.(1et/RC).u(t)
V

t
RC 2RC 3RC

Capacitor current : Using expression for vC(t), we can now find the
capacitor current.
In this case the capacitor current is equal to the
resistor current.
For t<0 s,
i(t) = C.(dvC/dt) = 0 A
For t0 s,
i(t) = C.{d[V.(1 et/RC)]/dt}
i(t) = C.V.(et/RC).(1/RC)
i(t) = (V/R).et/RCA
We can write single expression for all time
i.e., < t <
i(t) = (V/R).et/RC.u(t) A

 Sketch of this function is shown on board.

iC(t)=(V/R).(1et/RC).u(t)
V/R

t
RC 2RC 3RC

Linearity and Time invariance :Consider the circuit shown in figure.

Suppose that switch S returns to a at time t=1 s.

Under this circumstance, the voltage vs(t) is the voltage
pulse shown below:
vs(t)
V
0

1s

 Here, vC(t) = 0 volts

vC(t) = V volts

for t<0 s

and

for 0t1 s

{Since the voltage across a capacitor can not change

instantaneously.}
But for t1 s, we have to determine a natural response
given as
vC(t) = vC(1).e(t1)/RC = V.(1 e1/RC).e(t1)/RC for t1 s

Voltage response to applied voltage pulse is shown

below.
t/RC
vC(t)

V.(1e

V.(1e1/RC).e(t1)/RC)

V.(1et/RC)

1s

In particular, we can express the pulse vs(t) as the sum of two voltage steps.
va(t) = V.u(t) volts
vb(t) = V.u(t1) volts

vb(t)=V.u(t1)

va=V.u(t)
V
0

1s

t
V

By linearity, the response to

vs(t) = va(t) + vb(t)
is the sum of the responses to va(t) and vb(t).

 Response to va(t) is

vCa(t) = V.(1et/RC).u(t)
We have noted that the coefficients of non-zero terms in
describing equation are constants.
As a consequence this equation becomes
time-invariant (corresponding circuits are called timeinvariant circuits).

The property of time-invariance says that

Delaying an excitation by a certain amount of time
delays the response by the same amount of time.
In particular, the response to vb(t) = V.u(t1) is
vCb(t) = V.[1 e(t1)/RC].u(t 1)
Now, by linearity, we have that the response to
vs(t) = va(t) + vb(t) is
vC(t) = vCa(t) + vCb(t)
vC(t) = V.(1 et/RC).u(t) V.(1 e(t1) /RC).u(t 1)

From this solution we can obtain solution/expression for

vC(t) for different time domains as
1. when t<0 s,
u(t) = u(t 1) = 0

vC(t) = 0 V
2. when 0t1 s,
u(t) = 1
and
u(t 1) = 0

vC(t) = V.(1 et/RC)

3. When t1 s, then
u(t) = 1
u(t 1) = 1
vC(t) = V.(1 et/RC) V.(1 e(t1) /RC)

for t1 s

which agrees with sketch of vs(t) over different time

domains.

 The expression for current in any time domain

can be obtained as (from last expression)
i(t) = (V/R) .et/RC. u(t) +(V/R).e(t1)/RC.u(t 1)

i(t) = ia(t) + ib(t)