INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

KATHMANDU ENGINEERING COLLEGE

KALIMATI, KATHMANDU
(AFFILIATED TO TU)

LAB REPORT ON
Electric Circuit Theory

PRE DATE: EXPERIMENT

NO: 02
POST DATE: 2081/04/29

SUBMITTED BY:
SUBMITTED TO:
Name: Prasun Shiwakoti Department of
Roll No: 079BCT063 Electrical
Engineering
Group: BCT B1
Year: II
Part: I
Transient Response in First Order Passive
Circuits
OBJECTIVE:
-To measure the step response of RC and RL circuits using oscilloscope.

COMPONENTS REQUIRED:
1. Resistor decade box
2. Inductor decade box
3. Capacitor decade box
4. Oscilloscope
5. Multi-meter
6. Connecting wires

BASIC THEORY:
DC excitation in RC circuit / Step response of first order RC circuit without
any initial value of voltage across capacitor:

Circuit at t>0,

V0 – VR(t) – VC(t) = 0 …………………………….a)

V0 = VR(t) + VC(t)

1
V0 = i(t).R +
C
∫ i ( t ) dt
Differentiating with respect to t,

di(t) 1
R + i(t) = 0
dt C
di(t) 1
+ R i(t) = 0 ……………….(i)
dt C

This is first order homogeneous differential equation, so its solution is

given by,

Q
i(t) = +Ke− Pt where, Q=0
P
−1
i(t) = 0 + Ke RC t

−1
i(t) = Ke RC t …………..…….(ii)

To find value of K,
Put t = 0+,
i(0+) = K ………………….(iii)

By observation at t=0-, it is de-energized condition,

Circuit at t=0-,

i(0-) = 0A
VC(0-) = 0V
VC(0-) = VC(0+) = 0V
Circuit at t=0+,
From (iii),
i(0+) = K

V0
K=
R

Then equation (ii) becomes,

−1
i(t) =
V 0 RC t where, τ = RC = time constant
e
R
Now,
−t
VR(t) = i(t).R =
V0 τ
.R
e
R
−t
VR(t) = V0 e τ

Now, From (a),

V0 – VR(t) – VC(t) = 0
VC(t) = V0 – VR(t)
VC(t) = V0 – i(t).R
−t
= V0 -
V0 τ
.R
e
R
−t
VC(t) = V0(1 - e τ )

For i(t),
 V0
At t=0, i(t) =
R

At t = ∞, i(t) =
V 0 −∞
e =0
R

At t = τ, i(t) = 0.368
V0 V0
= 36.8% of
R R

For VR(t),

At t=0, VR(t) = V0

At t = ∞, VR(t) = V0. e−∞ = 0

At t = τ, VR(t) = V0. e−1= 0.368V0 = 36.8% of V0

For VC(t),

At t=0, VC(t) = V0(1 - e 0) = 0

At t = ∞, VC(t) = V0(1−e−∞) = V0(1 -

1
∞
¿ = V0
e
At t = τ, VC(t) = V0(1−e−1)= 0.632V0 =63.2% of V0
DC excitation in RL circuit / Step response of first order RL circuit without
any initial value of voltage across inductor:

Circuit at t>0,

V0 - VR(t) - VL(t) = 0

di(t)
V0 = i(t).R + L.
dt
di(t)
L. + i(t).R = V0
dt
di(t) R V0
+ i(t) = ……………………….(i)
dt L L

This is a first order non-homogeneous differential equation. So, the

solution is given by,

Q V0
i(t) = +Ke− Pt where, Q =
P L
V0 −R
i(t) = + Ke L t ……………….…….(ii)
L
To find value of K,
Put t = 0+,

V0
i(0+) = + K ……………..…….(iii)
L
By observation at t=0-, it is de-energized condition,
Circuit at t=0-,

i(0-) = 0A
iL(0-) = 0A
iL(0-) = iL(0+) = 0A
Circuit at t=0+,

i(0+) = 0A
iL(0+) = 0A
From (iii),

V0
i(0+) = +K
L
−V 0
K=
R

Then equation (ii) becomes,

−R
V0 L
t R
i(t) = (1−e ) where, τ = = time constant
R L
Now,

V0
VR(t) = i(t).R = ¿ ¿ ). R
R
 −t
VR(t) = V0 (1 - e τ )

Now,

( )
−t
di(t) d
VL(t) = L = L { V 0 1−e τ }
dt dt R

( )
−t
V0 −1 τ
=L 0−( )e
R τ

( )
−t
V0 1 τ
=L e
R τ
−t
VL(t) = V0e τ

For i(t),

At t=0, i(t) = 0

At t = ∞, i(t) =
V0
R

At t = τ, i(t) = 0.632
V0 V0
= 63.2% of
R R

For VR(t),
At t=0, VR(t) = 0

At t = ∞, VR(t) = V0

At t = τ, VR(t) = 0.632V0 = 63.2% of V0

For VL(t),

At t=0, VL(t) = V0

At t = ∞, VL(t) = 0

At t = τ, VC(t) = 0.368V0 =36.8% of V0

OBSERVATION:
Inductance(L) = 0.12546H
Resistance(RC) = 152.35Ω
Resistance(RL) = 82Ω
Capacitance(C) = 1520nF

For RC circuit,
From oscilloscope,
VO = 84.8V
Vc(t) = 53.59V
Practical value for time constant,

τpr = 108 μs

For RL circuit,
Vo = 25.6V
VR(t)= 16.1792V
Practical value for time constant,
 τpr = 420 μs

CALCULATION:
For RC circuit,
Theoretical value for time constant,

τth = RC = 152.53 ×1520 ×10-9= 125.2 μs

∨¿ × 100%
τ th−τ pr
% error = |
τ th

× 100%
125.2−108
=
125.2
= 13.77%
For RC circuit,
Theoretical value for time constant,

τth = = 823.4 μs
L 0.12546
=
R 152.35

∨¿ × 100%
τ th−τ pr
% error = |
τ th

× 100%
823.4−420
=
823.4
= 48.99%

DISCUSSION:
This experiment involved measuring and calculating time constants
for RL and RC circuits, comparing practical and theoretical values. We
obtained practical time constant measurements using an oscilloscope.
For theoretical calculations, we applied the formulas τ th = L/R for RL
circuits and τth = RC for RC circuits. We then determined the percentage
error between practical and theoretical values for both circuit types.
Through this process, we examined and confirmed the transient response
characteristics of RL and RC circuits.

CONCLUSION:
Hence, we found out the transient response in first order RL and RC
circuits.