Need Help with Laplace Homework Equations: Solving for Capacitor Voltage

  • Thread starter Thread starter etotheix
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Laplace
etotheix
Messages
21
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



7_12.png


Homework Equations



For a capacitor: i=C(de/dt)

The Attempt at a Solution



Using Kirchhoff's current law at the note above the resistor R2 I get the following equation, which I believe is right:

C(e0' - ei') + (e0 - ei)/R1 + e0/R2 = 0

Then, since the source has a constant voltage of A, I set ei' = 0 and ei = A and use Laplace to find the eo(t)

e0' + e0( 1/(C*R1) + 1/(C*R2) ) = A/(C*R1)

to facilitate the algebra:

1/(C*R1) + 1/(C*R2) = ( R1 + R2 )/( C*R1*R2 ) = ε1
A/( C*R1 ) = ε2

Then,

sE0 - E0(0) + (ε1)E0 = (ε2)/s

=> E0(0) = 0

E0( s + (ε1) ) = (ε2)/s

using partial fractions:

E0 = (ε2)/( s( s + (ε1) ) ) = A/s + B/( s+(ε1) )

A = ε2/ε1 and B = -ε2/ε1

ε2/ε1 = ( A*R2 )/( R1 + R2 )

E0 = (ε2/ε1)/s - (ε2/ε1)/( s + ε1 )

e0 = (ε2/ε1) - (ε2/ε1)e^(-ε1*t)

e0 = ( A )/( R1 + R2 )*( R2 - R2*ε1*t )

But I know that the answer to this problem is:

e0 = ( A )/( R1 + R2 )*( R2 - R1*ε1*t )

What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If you want to post in the math section, you should replace variables with x,y,z et cetera, and constants with a,b,c et cetera
 
Sorry I am just trying to be consistent with the problem statement. Maybe I posted in the wrong forum (although my question is related to Laplace and not the circuit itself), maybe a moderator can move this to Homework & Coursework Questions > Engineering, Comp Sci, & Technology ?

Thanks.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top