27th February 2018…………………………………………………….

Gaborone-Campus
Botho University FEAS-Engineering Department
E6-SAS-14-01: Signal and Systems
Example Sheet Solution 1
First Order Electrical System’s Response to a Step/DC Input ( RC&RL)
1. The Capacitor, C = 0.22µF and is charged by a 1µA current until the voltage is 12V. How
long does this take?

Answer: The charge on the capacitor must be Q = CV = I.t

Q = C.V = 0.22µF × 12V = 2.64µC for a constant charging current, I, the charge, q, is given
q 2.64 µ C
by q = I.t ( for varying charge, q = ∫ idt ) so t = = = 2.64s
I 1µ A

2. The graph below shows the voltage across a 3.3nF Capacitor as it is being charged and
discharged by a current, i . Sketch the corresponding graph of I versus time?

dv c(t ) 5V
Answer: The Capacitor charges from 0V to 5V in 10µS, i.e. at a rate of = = (5
dt 10 µ S
5
× 10 )V/S
dv c(t )
Therefore ic(t ) = C = 3.3nF × (5 × 105)V/S = (3.3 × 10−9) × (5 × 105)V/S = 1.65mA
dt
during charging up. Similarly i = 0, when the voltage is constant and during the

Discharge; i = ic(t ) = -
dv c(t )
dt
C =− (
50
5−0
×10 ) 5 -9
−6 × 3.3nF = -1×10 × 3.3 × 10 = -330 µA.

Thus the following Graph;

1
3. What was the maximum energy stored by the Capacitor in the previous question?

1 1
Answer: the maximum voltage was 5V so W = CV 2 = × 3.3nF × 52= 41.25nJ
2 2

4. The graph below shows the current through a 44µH Inductor as the voltage , v , across it
is changed. Sketch the corresponding graph of v versus time.

di
Answer: The Inductor current first changes from 0.0A to 1.0A in 10µS, i.e. at a rateof
dt
1.0 A di
= = 1.0 × 105 A / S thus (VL = L ) = 44µH × 1.0 × 105 ¿4.4V during this period. The
10 µ S dt
di (1.0−0.5) A
current then decreases at a rate =- = -25000A/S, so VL = 44 × 10−6× -
dt (30−10)µ S
25000 = -1.1V. Finally the current is at steady from 30 µ S to 50 µ S across the Inductor.
Thus the graph is as follows;

2
5. What was the peak energy stored by the Inductor in the previous Question?

1 1 2
Answer: The peak current occurs at iL = 1.0A, W = L I 2 = 44 µ H ×(1.0 A) =
2 2
1 −6 2
×(44 × 10 )H ×(1.0 A) = 22 µJ
2

6. In the circuit below, the Capacitor is initially charged to a voltage of 12V.

i. Derive the First Order General Governing Differential Equation!
ii. Derive discharging Transient Exponential equation!
iii. Sketch the discharging Transient response of the capacitor voltage after the
Switch is closed at t =0.

Answer: Using KVL: ∑ ∆ V =0 , using voltage divider rule;

i S (t)-i R (t) - i C (t) = 0

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i R (t) + i C (t) = i S (t), and set i S (t) = 0.
i R (t) + i C (t) = 0

V dv c(t )
+C =0
R dt

V dv c(t )
+C =0
R dt

dv c(t ) 1
+ .V = 0 (The First Order Ordinary General Differential Governing Equation)
dt RC

The Discharging Exponential Equation;

1 dv
dt + c(t ) = 0
RC V

t t
dv c (t ) 1
∫ V = - ∫ RC dt
0 0
−t
ln ( V ) = +C
RC
C = constant = ln(V o ) at tꝏ
−t
ln ( V ) = + ln (V o )
RC
−t
ln(V)- ln ⁡¿ ¿ ) =
RC
ln( )V
Vo
=-
t
RC
t
V −( )
=e RC
Vo
t
VC(t) = Vo.e−( RC )
The exponential. First Order Transient Response

T = RC = 10KΩ × 0.22µF = 2.2mS at 4.41V

t = 5RC = 5 × 2.2mS = 11mS

4
7. From the Question above (6). After approximately what times would you expect the
Voltage to have decayed to 37%, this would take one time constant, to within 5% and to
within 1%. Thus
VC(t) = 12V.e−(1 )=4.414 V @ t = 2.2mS
3 RC
Within 5 % thus Vc(t) = 12V.e−( RC )=¿0.5V @ 3RC = 6.6mS (3 time constants)
5 RC
Vc(t) = 12V.e−( RC )❑ ≈ 0.1 V @5 RC=11 mS (5 time constants)

8. This time around the Capacitor is now charged from 12V, voltage source through the
Resistor?
Derive the Transient Response Equation?
Sketch the Transient Response after the Switch have been closed!
After approximately what times would you expect the voltage to have reached
63% and between 98-99% and how long would the Capacitor take to charge to
12V.

Answer:
t
i. Transient Response Equation thus Vc(t) = Vo(1-e−( RC ) ¿
T = RC = 2.2mS @ 7.585V
5τ = 5RC = 11mS
ii. Transient Exponential Response

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 iii. 63% takes one time constant thus Vc(t) = 12(1-e−(1 ) ¿ = 7.585V @ T = RC, at 98-
99% thus 0.98 to 0.99 × 12 = 11.76V to 11.88V and 12V is at 5τ = 5RC = 11mS

9. The following circuit shows a Resistor and an Inductor connected to a voltage source by
a Switch. The Switch has been at position A for a long time. At t=0 the Switch is changed
to position B. After a period of 1mS it is switched back to position A. Calculate Vout at t
= 1mS and t = 2mS and sketch the Transient Response of vout from t =0 to 2mS.

Answer: Since the Switch has been at position A for a long time, at t=0 we can assume
that no current is flowing through the Inductor and the Resistor since any energy stored
in the Inductor will have had time to dissipate through the Resistor. Since there is no
current flowing through the Resistor, Vout = 0V. Thus t=0, i =0, Vout =0v.

As the current builds up in the Inductor, so Vout also increases. If this situation were
allowed to continue forever, then since the Inductor “looks like” a short circuit at long
time, Vout would eventually reach 6V. Thus exponential Transient response is
t L
appropriate: Vout = 6V(1-e−( τ ) ¿ , the time constant for an RL combination is τ = so τ is
R
22mH 1 mS
= 0.468mS thus after 1mS, we have Vout = 6V(1-e−( 0.468 mS ) ¿ = 5.29V.
47 Ω

At time t=1mS the Switch changes position and the current decreases as energy from
the Inductor is dissipated by the Resistor. The discharge exponential Transient equation
is now appropriate with an initial voltage of 5.29V. The time constant is the same as

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 before. The discharge starts at t =1mS so (t-1)mS shall be used to be consistent. Thus we
(t−1)mS
have Vout = 5.29V(e−( 0.468 mS ) ¿ which is at t=2mS gives Vout = 0.624V.
The Transient Response

10. Consider the following systems which are analogues of each other. The thermal system is a
mercury-in-glass thermometer where the mercury (thermal mass) is in series with the glass
(thermal resistance). The differential equation governing the response of the RC circuit is:
1
VT = VR + VC = i .R +
C
∫ idt . Write down the analogous differential equation for the
thermometer. The glass has a thermal resistance of 4 0 C/W, the mercury has a mass of 0.005kg
and Cp for mercury is 140J/(0C.kg). If the temperature is suddently change by Θ 0, how long is it
necessary to wait for the reading to change by 95% of Θ 0?

Answer: For the thermal Resistance, Rth, thermal mass (= heat capacity), Mth, and heat flow
1
rate, q, we have: ΘT = ΘR + ΘC = Rth.q +
Mth
∫ qdt . The time constant of the RC circuit is RC,
therefore th time constant of the thermal system is RthMth. The thermal mass is m.c, where m
is the mass of the mercury and Cp is its specific heat capacity. So the thermal system has a time
constant of Rth.m.Cp = 2.8 S. For 95% change (i.e. 5% error) it is necessary to wait for 3τ = 8.4S.

11. Two more analogues

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The supply voltage, Vs in the RL system, is that due to current flowing through the
Resistor and the change in the current flowing through the Inductor. The total force in
the friction-mass system is that due to the friction as the mass is pulled along and the
acceleration of the mass. Write down analogues differential equations for these two
systems. Knowing the time constant of the RL system, find the time constant of the
friction-mass system. If Vs is constant in the RL system, what is the steady state current
(i.e. the current after a long time when t ꝏ)? By analogy, if the force is constant,
what is the final velocity of the mass? If the mass represent a car, of M = 1000kg, and
friction coefficient, R = 1nN/(m/s) what would be the steady state velocity the engine
provides a driving force of 2000N? How long would it take to accelerate to 63.2% of this
final velocity?

di
Answer: For RL system Vs = VR + VL = i.R + L and for Friction-mass-system (applied
dt
du
force) fs = fR + fM = R.u + M. . The time constant of an RL system is L/R so the time
dt
constant of the friction-mass-system is M/R. For the RL system the steady state current
is Vs/R so for the friction-mass-system it must be fs/R. The final steady state velocity
must therefore be 2000N/10N(m/s) = 200m/s. It would take 1 time constant to reach
63.2% of this value. i.e. a time of 1000kg/10N(m/s) = 100s.