Hardware 04

BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Course No. : EEE 102 Group No : 3

Course Title : Electrical Circuits I Laboratory Section : B-2
Hardware Experiment No : 04
Name of the Experiment : Time Responses of R-L and R-C Circuits With DC
Excitation (Time Responses of First Order Systems)
Name : Sadman Uddin Ahmed

Student ID: 2306110
Level: 1 Term: 1
Department: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Partner’s ID: 2306111, 2306112, 2306113, 2306114, 2306115
Date of Performance : 12/11/2024

Date of Submission : 26/11/2024
Objective
The objective of this experiment is to analyze and understand the time response
characteristics of first-order R-C and R-L circuits when subjected to a DC step
input. By observing the charging behavior of a capacitor in an R-C circuit and the
current rise in an R-L circuit, we aim to investigate the time-dependent responses
governed by the circuit's resistance and capacitance or inductance values. This
experiment will provide insights into the transient and steady-state behavior of
first-order systems, allowing us to validate theoretical expectations through
practical measurements and observations.
Theory
Time Response of R-C Circuits:
When a DC voltage source is applied to an R-C (resistor-capacitor) circuit, the
capacitor charges through the resistor, and the voltage across the capacitor
increases exponentially over time until it reaches the value of the DC input voltage.
This time-dependent charging behavior is determined by the time constant,
, where is the resistance and is the capacitance. The voltage across
the capacitor, , during charging can be expressed as:
where is the input DC voltage and is time. The time constant represents the
time it takes for the capacitor to charge up to approximately 63% of the input
voltage. For discharging, the capacitor voltage follows a similar exponential decay.
The time response of R-C circuits is essential for understanding how capacitors
respond in transient conditions.
Time Response of R-L Circuits:

In an R-L (resistor-inductor) circuit with a DC input, the current through the
inductor also exhibits a time-dependent response. The inductor initially opposes
changes in current due to its inductance, but eventually, the current reaches a
steady-state value. This behavior is governed by the time constant , where
is the inductance and is the resistance in the circuit. The current in the
inductor when subjected to a step input of voltage can be given as:
Similar to the R-C circuit, the time constant in an R-L circuit signifies the time
required for the current to reach about 63% of its final steady-state value. The
transient and steady-state response of R-L circuits is critical in analyzing circuits
where inductors play a key role in shaping current over time.
First-Order System Response:

Both R-C and R-L circuits are first-order systems because their responses are
described by a single differential equation. The solutions to these differential
equations result in exponential time responses, characterized by the circuit’s
respective time constants. In this experiment, these theoretical responses will be
tested and verified by observing the voltage and current behavior in R-C and R-L
circuits under DC excitation.
Time Constant (τ) and Its Importance:

The time constant, denoted as , is a critical parameter in analyzing the transient
response of both R-C and R-L circuits. In an R-C circuit, , where is the
resistance and is the capacitance. In an R-L circuit, , where is the
inductance. The period of 5 times the time constant, or , is typically used as a
practical measure of the time it takes for a circuit to complete its transient response
and reach near steady-state conditions. This is because, by the time 5τ has elapsed,
the response of the circuit has reached over 99% of its final value. Beyond 5τ, the
circuit is effectively in steady state, allowing for accurate measurement and
analysis of the steady-state values without interference from transient behavior.
List of Components
1. Resistor (1kΩ)
2. Capacitor
3. Inductor
4. Oscilloscope
5. Function Generator
6. D.C. Power supply
7. Breadboard
8. Connectors and Jumpers
Setup
Part I: R-C circuit
The following circuit was constructed where Vs is a square wave of amplitude 5
Volts and 200 Hz generated by the Function generator, R = 1000Ω and C = 1µ𝐹.
Fig: Setup of simple R-C circuit
Calculations
−6 −3
Time constant, τ = 𝑅 × 𝐶 = 1000 × 1 × 10 = 10 𝑠
−3
Time period of pulse, 𝑇 = 5τ = 5 × 10 𝑠
1
Frequency, 𝑓 = 𝑇
= 200𝐻𝑧
Part II: R-L circuit

The following circuit was constructed where Vs is a square wave of amplitude 5
Volts and 200 KHz generated by the Function generator, R = 1000Ω and L = 1𝑚𝐻.
Fig: Setup of simple R-L circuit
Calculations
−3
𝐿 1×10 −6
Time constant, τ = 𝑅
= 1000
= 10 𝑠
−6
Time period of pulse, 𝑇 = 5τ = 5 × 10 𝑠
1
Frequency, 𝑓 = 𝑇
= 200𝐾𝐻𝑧
Result
The oscilloscope output provides a clear representation of the transient response in
both R-C and R-L circuits, showcasing characteristic exponential curves. In the
R-C circuit, the voltage across the capacitor ( ) and across the resistor ( ) are
plotted against the supplied DC pulse. Similarly, for the R-L circuit, the voltage
across the inductor ( ) and across the resistor ( ) are plotted against .
Part I: R-C circuit:
Fig: Vs vs T & Vc vs T graph
Fig: VR vs T & Vc vs T graph

Part II: R-L circuit:
Fig: Vs vs T & VL vs T graph
Fig: VR vs T & VL vs T graph

It was observed that the input voltage ( ) exceeds the output voltages across
the reactive components (capacitor or inductor) and the resistor, while maintaining
the same frequency. However, the input square wave signal experienced slight
distortion due to the presence of capacitive or inductive elements, affecting the
sharpness of the waveform transitions. These plots illustrate the expected behavior
of the first-order R-C and R-L circuits, confirming the theoretical predictions of
their time-dependent voltage responses.
Discussion
In this experiment, the time responses of first-order R-C and R-L circuits were
observed and analyzed using a DC pulse input. The results provided insight into
the transient behavior of these circuits, showcasing the exponential voltage rise and
decay across capacitive and inductive elements, as predicted by theoretical models.
The plots of vs. , vs. for the R-C circuit, and vs. ,
vs. for the R-L circuit effectively demonstrated the charging and discharging
curves associated with the capacitor and the gradual current rise in the inductor.
Several factors, however, could have introduced discrepancies in the results,

potentially affecting the precision of the experiment. First, the resistance and
capacitance or inductance values may not have been perfectly accurate due to
manufacturing tolerances, which could slightly alter the time constant and affect
the observed time response. Additionally, stray capacitance and inductance from
the oscilloscope probes and circuit wiring might have influenced the measured
voltages, introducing minor distortions to the ideal waveform shapes. Moreover,
noise from the function generator or environmental electromagnetic interference
may have contributed to fluctuations in the observed voltage signals, particularly
for low-voltage readings.
Another limitation is the finite resolution of the oscilloscope, which may have
affected the clarity of the waveforms, especially in capturing sharp transitions in
the input square wave. These factors could lead to slight deviations from the ideal
exponential curves, particularly in the initial and final transient states.
Despite these potential sources of error, the experiment closely aligns with the
theoretical predictions for first-order R-C and R-L circuits. The observed time
responses effectively illustrate the expected exponential behavior, supporting the
underlying theory of time constants and transient analysis in first-order systems.
Therefore, even with the minor discrepancies and experimental limitations, the
experiment successfully validates the theoretical framework and provides a
near-accurate representation of the time-dependent behavior of R-C and R-L
circuits under DC excitation.

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BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Course No. : EEE 102 Group No : 3

Name : Sadman Uddin Ahmed

Partner’s ID: 2306111, 2306112, 2306113, 2306114, 2306115

Date of Performance : 12/11/2024

Time Response of R-L Circuits:

First-Order System Response:

Time Constant (τ) and Its Importance:

Fig: Setup of simple R-C circuit

Part II: R-L circuit

Fig: Setup of simple R-L circuit

Fig: Vs vs T & Vc vs T graph

Fig: VR vs T & Vc vs T graph

Fig: Vs vs T & VL vs T graph

Fig: VR vs T & VL vs T graph

Several factors, however, could have introduced discrepancies in the results,

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