1

EG1110 Signals and Systems

Exercise 3: Free response of simple systems

The free response of a system is the response due to initial conditions. For simple systems, described by ordinary
differential equations, it is possible to derive expressions for the free response. For more complex systems this
is more difficult.

1. Consider the simple RC circuit shown below. For t ≤ 0, the switch is open; for t > 0, the switch is
closed. Using Kirchoff’s voltage law, derive an expression for the free response of the system, assuming
the voltage across the capacitor at time t = 0 is given by V (0) = α and the output is the voltage across
the capacitor.
R

2. Consider the circuit below. For For t ≤ 0, the switch is open; for t > 0, the switch is closed. Using
Kirchoff’s current law, derive an expression for the free response of the system, assuming the voltage
across the capacitor at time t = 0 is given by V (0) = β and the output is the voltage V (t).
R1

V(t) C R2

3. Consider the simple RLC circuit shown below. For t ≤ 0, the switch is open; for t > 0, the switch is
closed. Using Kirchoff’s voltage law, derive an expression for the free response of the system, assuming
the voltage across the capacitor at time t = 0 is 2 volts, the current through the inductor at time t = 0 is
zero. Also R = 5 Ω, C = 1/6 mF, and L = 1 mH. The output is the current I(t).
R

I(t) C

L
 2

Solutions

1. When switch is closed, KVL gives:

VR + VC = 0
Ri + Vc = 0

But current through resistor is same as current through capacitor so

dVc
i=C
dt
Substituting for i we thus have
dVc
RC + Vc = 0 (1)
dt
Assume solution has form Vc = Aest , then differentiating this implies
dVc
= sAest
dt
So using Vc and V̇c in equation (1) thus gives:

(RCs + 1)Aest = 0

which implies that s = −1/RC, that is, the general form of the solution is

Vc = Ae−(1/RC)t

To find the particular form, note that the initial voltage across the capacitor is alpha, i.e.

Vc (0) = α

Then as we also can write

Vc (0) = Ae0 = A

It follows that A = α and hence the free response of the system is given by

Vc = αe−(1/RC)t

2. When switch is closed, KCL gives

iR1 = iC + Ir2 = 0
V dV V
+C + = 0
R1 dt R2
R1 R2
To make the algebra easy let R′ = R1 +R2 , then we have

dV 1
C + ′V = 0
dt R
Assume we have general form of solution as:
dV
V = Aest ⇒ = sAest
dt
 3

Using this in the last-but-one equation we then have

(sC + 1/R′ )Aest = 0 ⇒ s = −1/CR′

So, similar to the preceeding question, we find that the particular solution is
R +R2
1
′ − CR t
V (t) = βe−(1/R C)t = βe 1 R2

3. When switch is closed, KVL gives:

Vc + VR + VL = 0
Z t
1 di
VC (0) + i(τ )dτ + iR + L = 0
C 0 dt
Differentiate this to get
1 di d2 i
i + R + 2L = 0 (2)
C dt dt
Assume solution in form i = Aest , which implies
di
= sAest
dt
d2 i
= s2 Aest
dt2
Using these expressions in equation (2) thus gives
1
( + sR + s2 L)Aest = 0
C
Using the numerical values we thus have

10−3 (s2 + 5 × 103 s + 6 × 106 )Aest = 0

which implies
s = −3 × 10−3 , −2 × 103

Using initial conditions:

i) iL (0) = 0 → i(0) = 0. Hence

i(0) = A1 e0 + A2 e0 = A1 + A2

and hence A1 + A2 = 0.
ii) VC (0) = 2. Thus from KVL we have

di
VC (0) + i(0) R + L (0) = 0
|{z} dt
=0

This implies that

di
L (0) = −VC (0)
dt
and hence that
di
(0) = −2 × 103
dt
 4

Alternatively, as we can write

i(t) = A1 e−s1 t + A2 e−s2 t

Differentiating this and substituting for s gives

di 3 3
= −3 × 10−3 A1 e−3×10 t − 2 × 103 A2 e−2×10 t
dt
Evaluating this at t = 0 then give
di
(0) = −3 × 103 A1 − 2 × 103 A2 = −2 × 103
dt

Thus we have two simultaneous equations which can be solved for A1 and A2 to get: A1 = 2, A2 = −2,
so the solution becomes:

3 3t
i(t) = 2e−3×10 t − 2e−2×10