Series RC, RL, and RLC Circuits

Parallel RC, RL, and RLC Circuits

by Prof. Townsend
MTH 352 Fall 2005

If you want a good description of the analysis of these circuits, go to the Wikipedia web site, for
example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RL_circuit.

Analyses for series RC, parallel RL, and series RLC circuits were taken from class notes for
Berkeleys EE 40, Introduction to Microelectronic Circuits. The lecture notes for this course are
very well written. http://laser.eecs.berkeley.edu/ee40/lectures/cch-Lec09-021505-2-6p.pdf.

General Information

dQ
Q = i ( ) d
t
i= (1a) (1b)
dt

1
vR = RiR (2a) iR = vR (2b)
R
Q 1 t dv
iC ( ) d
C C
vC = = (3a) iC = C C (3b)
dt
di 1 t
vL = L L (4a) iL = vL ( ) d (4b)
dt L

Time Constants
L
RL = (5a) RC = RC (5b)
R
1
Natural frequency 02 = (6)
LC

Kirchhoffs voltage law (KVL): the net voltage (potential) change around a circuit is 0. You
end up where you started.

Kirchhoffs current law (KCL): the total current into a node = the total current leaving the node.
The electrons have to go somewhere.

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 1 of 6

First Order Series RC circuit

R
+ C
-
s

KVL: vR + vC = vs (7)

Write in terms of vC :
From equation (2a) vR = RiR (8)
There is only one current in the loop so iR = iC = i (9)
dv
From equation (3b) vR = RiC = R C C (10)
dt
dv
Plug into equation (7) RC C + vC = vs (11a)
dt
dv
Rewrite using equation (5a) RC C + vC = vs (11b)
dt

First Order Series RL circuit

R
+
L
-
s

KVL: v R + v L = vs (12)

Write in terms of vC :
From equation (2a) vR = RiR (13)
di
From equation (4a) vL = L L (14)
dt
There is only one current in the loop so iR = iL = i (15)
di
Plug into equation (12) L + Ri = vs (16)
dt
di R 1
Divide by L + i = vs (17a)
dt L L
di 1 1
Rewrite using equation (5a) + i = vs (17b)
dt RL L

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 2 of 6

First Order Parallel RC circuit
s
R C

C
s R

KCL: iC + iR = is (18)

Write in terms of v :
There is only one voltage drop so vR = vC = v (19)
1
From equation (2b) iR = v (20)
R
dv
From equation (3b) iC = C (21)
dt
dv 1
Plug into equation (18) C + v = is (22)
dt R
dv 1 1
Divide by C + v = is (23a)
dt RC C
dv 1 1
Rewrite using equation (5b) + v = is (23b)
dt RC C

First Order Parallel RL circuit

s
R L

s R L

KCL: iL + iR = is (24)

Write in terms of iL :
1
From equation (2b) iR = vR . (25)
R
There is only one voltage drop so vR = vL = v (26)
1 1 di
From equation (4a) iR = vL = L L (27)
R R dt
L diL
Plug into equation (24) iL + = is (28a)
R dt
di
Rewrite using equation (5a) iL + RL L = is (28b)
dt

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 3 of 6

Second Order Series RLC circuit

R
+ C
-
s
L

KVL: vL + vR + vC = vs (29)

Write in terms of the loop current i , (equations (2a). (3a), (4a)).

di 1 t
vL = L vR = Ri vC = i ( ) d (30)
dt C

Plug into (29) vL + vR + vC = vs :

di 1 t
L + Ri + i ( ) d = vs (31)
dt C

The integral is a problem so take the time derivative of every term in (31)
d 2i di 1 dv
L 2 +R + i= s (32)
dt dt C dt

Divide by L
d 2i R di 1 1 dvs
2
+ + i= (33a)
dt L dt LC L dt

Rewrite using equations (5a) and (6)

d 2i 1 di 1 dvs
+ + 02i = (33b)
dt RL dt
2
L dt

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 4 of 6

Second Order Parallel RLC circuit
s LC C
R L

s R L C

KCL: iLC + iR = is and iL + iC = iLC Combine to give iL + iR + iC = is (34)

Write in terms of v , the voltage across all components (equations (2b). (3b), (4b)).
1 t 1 dv
iL = vL ( ) d iR = vR iC = C C
L R dt (35)

Plug into (34) iL + iR + iC = is :

1 t 1 dv
vL ( ) d + vR + C C = is
L R dt (36)

The integral is a problem so take the time derivative of every term in (36). Reorder.
d 2 v 1 dv 1 di
C 2 + + v= s
dt R dt L dt (37)

Divide by C
d 2 v 1 dv 1 1 dis
2
+ + v=
dt RC dt LC C dt (38a)

Rewrite using equations (5b) and (6)

d 2 v 1 dv 1 dis
+ + 02 v =
dt 2
RC dt C dt (38b)

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 5 of 6

 Summary

Circuit Differential Equation Form

First Order Series RC circuit dvC 1 1
+ vC = v (11b)
dt RC RC s
First Order Series RL circuit di 1 1
+ i = vs (17b)
dt RL L
First Order Parallel RC circuit dv 1 1
+ v = is (23b)
dt RC C
First Order Parallel RL circuit diL 1 1
+ iL = i (28b)
dt RL RL s
First Order General Form dx 1
+ x = f (t )
dt

Second Order Series RLC circuit d 2i 1 di 1 dvs

+ + 02i = (33b)
dt RL dt
2
L dt

Second Order Parallel RLC circuit d 2 v 1 dv 1 dis

+ + 02 v = (38b)
dt 2
RC dt C dt
Second Order General Form d 2 x 1 dx
+ + 02 x = f ( t )
dt 2
dt

Time Constants L
RL = (5a)
R

RC = RC (5b)
Natural frequency 1
02 = (6)
LC

R, L, C Circuits Prof. Townsend Page 6 of 6