Laplace Transform Properties

Let a and b be constants, F (s) = L[f (t)], and G(s) = L[g(t)]. The following table lists a number of basic
properties of the Laplace transform.

(n − 1)! n−1
h i
L[tn−1 ] = sn , for n ≥ 1 (1) L−1 s1n = t
(n − 1)!

L[af (t) + bg(t)] = aL[f ] + bL[g] (2) L−1 [aF (s) + bG(s)] = aL−1 [F ] + bL−1 [G]

L [f (t/a)] = a L[f ]|s→as (3) 1 L−1 [F ]| t

L−1 [F (as)] = a t→ a

L[f (t)U (t − a)] = L [f (t + a)] e−as , for a ≥ 0 (4) L−1 [F (s)e−as ] = U (t − a)L−1 [F (s)]|t→t−a , for a ≥ 0

L[e−at f (t)] = L [f ]|s→s+a (5) L−1 [F (s)] = e−at L−1 [F (s − a)]

L[f ′ (t)] = sL[f (t)] − f (0− ) (6)

Based on the properties listed above, additional properties can be derived, such as the following.

g(t) G(s)

(7) 1 1
s
Rt F (s) 1 Ra
(8) f (τ )dτ s − s f (τ )dτ
a 0
Rt F (s)
(9) f (τ )dτ s
0

(10) e−at 1
s+a

(11) sin(at) a
s2 + a 2
(12) cos(at) s
s2 + a 2

The formula of for the n’th order derivative can be derived from equation (6):

(13) L{f (n) (t)} = sn F (s) − f (n−1) (0− ) − sf (n−2) (0− ) − s2 f (n−3) (0− ) − . . . − sn−1 f (0− )

Assuming no discontinuities at t = 0, we can write f (0) in the place of f (0− ), f ′ (0) in the place of f ′ (0− ),
and so on.