Lecture Notes: RC and RL Circuits

Introduction to Circuits

• Starting a new series on electrical engineering focusing on RC and RL circuits.
• Definitions:
  • R = Resistance
  • C = Capacitance
  • L = Inductance

Types of Circuits

• RC Circuit: Contains a capacitor (C) and a resistor (R).
• RL Circuit: Contains an inductor (L) and a resistor (R).

Circuit Classification

• RC and RL circuits are classified as first-order circuits.
  • First-order: Only contain one energy storage component (either capacitor or inductor).

Current and Voltage Calculations

• RC Circuit:
  • Current through a capacitor is given by:
    [ I = C \frac{dV}{dt} ]
• RL Circuit:
  • Voltage across an inductor is given by:
    [ V = L \frac{dI}{dt} ]

Differential Equations

• The equations defining voltage and current in RC and RL circuits lead to first-order differential equations.
• Future lessons will cover second-order circuits when capacitors, inductors, and resistors are combined.

Focus of the Current Chapter

• Learning how to calculate the current through any branches and the voltage across any branches of the circuits.
• Will include more complex examples of these circuits.

Conclusion

• Stay tuned for more videos on RC and RL circuits.