An **LR circuit** is a circuit consisting of an inductor (denoted by **L**) and a resistor (denoted by **R**) connected either in series or parallel with a voltage source. The equation for an **LR series circuit** is derived using **Kirchhoff's voltage law (KVL)**, which states that the sum of the voltage drops in a closed loop equals the applied voltage.
### Series LR Circuit Equation
The total voltage **V(t)** applied to the circuit is the sum of the voltage drop across the resistor **V_R(t)** and the voltage drop across the inductor **V_L(t)**. According to Ohm's law and Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction:
- Voltage across the resistor:
\[
V_R(t) = I(t) \cdot R
\]
where:
- \( I(t) \) is the current through the resistor (and also through the inductor, as it's a series circuit).
- \( R \) is the resistance.
- Voltage across the inductor:
\[
V_L(t) = L \cdot \frac{dI(t)}{dt}
\]
where:
- \( L \) is the inductance.
- \( \frac{dI(t)}{dt} \) is the rate of change of current through the inductor.
Using Kirchhoff's voltage law:
\[
V(t) = V_R(t) + V_L(t)
\]
Substituting the expressions for \( V_R(t) \) and \( V_L(t) \):
\[
V(t) = I(t) \cdot R + L \cdot \frac{dI(t)}{dt}
\]
This is the **differential equation** that governs the behavior of an LR series circuit.
### Solving the Equation for Current \( I(t) \)
For a step input (e.g., if a constant voltage \( V_0 \) is applied at time \( t = 0 \)):
\[
V(t) = V_0
\]
The differential equation becomes:
\[
V_0 = I(t) \cdot R + L \cdot \frac{dI(t)}{dt}
\]
To solve this, you can rearrange it as:
\[
\frac{dI(t)}{dt} + \frac{R}{L} I(t) = \frac{V_0}{L}
\]
This is a first-order linear differential equation. The solution for \( I(t) \), the current as a function of time, is:
\[
I(t) = \frac{V_0}{R} \left( 1 - e^{-\frac{R}{L}t} \right)
\]
where:
- \( \frac{V_0}{R} \) is the steady-state current (after a long time),
- \( e^{-\frac{R}{L}t} \) is the exponential decay term,
- \( \frac{R}{L} \) is the time constant \( \tau \), which characterizes the rate at which the current reaches its final value.
### Time Constant
The time constant \( \tau \) for an LR circuit is defined as:
\[
\tau = \frac{L}{R}
\]
This represents the time it takes for the current to reach approximately 63% of its final steady-state value after the voltage is applied.
### Summary of Key Points
- **Differential equation** for an LR circuit:
\[
V(t) = I(t) \cdot R + L \cdot \frac{dI(t)}{dt}
\]
- **Solution for current** \( I(t) \) when a constant voltage \( V_0 \) is applied:
\[
I(t) = \frac{V_0}{R} \left( 1 - e^{-\frac{R}{L}t} \right)
\]
- **Time constant** \( \tau = \frac{L}{R} \), which determines how quickly the current rises or falls.
This equation describes the transient behavior of the current in the circuit as it evolves from zero to its steady-state value.