Is there a physical interpretation of unbounded oscillations in RLC circuits?

AI Thread Summary
Unbounded oscillations in RLC circuits can be mathematically represented by a second-order differential equation, suggesting that charge can oscillate indefinitely under certain conditions. The solution indicates that resonance may occur, leading to long-term oscillatory behavior of charge, q(t). However, this phenomenon does not occur in real life as charges do not appear from nowhere; they are influenced by external forces like electromagnetic fields. In practical scenarios, the oscillations are typically damped due to resistance in the circuit. Overall, while the math supports the idea of unbounded oscillations, physical interpretations must consider the conservation of charge and the limitations imposed by real-world conditions.
Benny
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I've done some questions on RLC circuits where I have a second order differential equation of the form: L\frac{{d^2 q}}{{dt^2 }} + R\frac{{dq}}{{dt}} + \frac{q}{C} = E\left( t \right)

The solution of this equation gives an expression for the charge as a function of time, q(t). Just off the top of my head I think that the numbers(for the inductance, resistance etc) can be fudged so that the particular solution is something of the form q\left( t \right) = Rt\cos \left( {\omega t + \varphi } \right). In other words, the expression for long term behaviour of q(t) is a series of unbounded oscillations.

I'm not sure if this sort of thing actually happens in real life, but the math suggests that 'resonance' occurs. And I'm thinking that at least some of the 'applications' questions I've been doing have some relation to real life. I'd basically like to know if there is any physical interpretation of a q(t) with unbounded oscillations? Charge appearing from out of nowhere? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to interpreting the math. So can someone shed some light on this problem for me?
 
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Take a look at this, which has the equation in terms of current rather than charge - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RLC_circuit.

E(t) would be a forcing function, which induces a 'forced' oscillation. The left hand side may produce a damped, overdamped or underdamped condition regarding oscillation, depending on R, L and C.

Charges do not appear out of nowhere, unless there is some particle interaction like pair production, and in that cases, charge neutrality is still maintained.

In a wire bearing AC current, the charges (electrons) are simply moving back and forth under the influence of an applied emf.
 
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