RL circuit fun am I drawing this circuit correct at different times?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around analyzing an RL circuit where a switch opens at time t=0. Participants are tasked with finding the current through a resistor at various time intervals: before the switch opens, immediately after, at infinity, and at a specific time of 1.5 ms.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of the switch opening and how it affects current flow through the circuit components. There are questions about the behavior of the inductor and the equivalent resistance in the circuit.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the behavior of the circuit at different time intervals, while others are clarifying their understanding of the equations and concepts involved. There is an ongoing exploration of the initial conditions and how they relate to the final results.

Contextual Notes

There are mentions of potential confusion regarding the interpretation of the circuit's behavior at t=0 and t=infinity, as well as the calculation of equivalent resistance when analyzing the inductor's effect. Participants are also considering the impact of different assumptions on their calculations.

mr_coffee
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Hello eveeryone! exam time monday! Just doing some last checks to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. Here is the directions and circuit:
THe circuit shown below has beeen in the form shown for a very long time. THe switchopens at t =0. FInd iR at t equal to (a)0-, (b) 0+, (c) infinity, and (d) 1.5

I'm showing u my work for (a) and (b).

FOr par (a)
WHat I'm confused on is, U see that wire that says at time t =0, its going to switch open. At time t < 0, does that mean there is just a wire there?

Does that mean all the current is going to go through that wire and say screw all the other compoents like the 60, and 40 ohm resistors? THe answer in the back of the book is iR = 0;

But is it 0 because all the current will go into that wire with no resistance?
I remember the professor said, if the inductor is shorted(in this case it would be because the circuit has been sitting there for a long time) then anything in parellel with that shorted inductor is also shorted out?


For part (b)
iR = 10mA
Is this iR 10mA because when that wire is opened that means the conductor isn't shorted but acts as a huge resistor. Not wanting any current to go through it, so it makes all the current go through the 60 ohm resistor?

For partt (d) 1.5ms

I need to find x = L/Req,
to find Req, ur suppose to "look" into the inductor and take out all power supplies, in this case I think you would be left with 60 and 40 in parellel, so i got Req = 4mA, L = .1H

I know I'm going to use the equation:
iL(t) = io*e^t/x, where x = L/R, L being the indcutor, R being the equivlent resistance, but what io do i use? io is the initial current i though, usually i use the io i found at time i(0-) but in this case its 0!

The book is getting an answer of 5.34mA.



Thanks!

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2278/lastscan8qy.jpg
 
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mr_coffee said:
Hello eveeryone! exam time monday! Just doing some last checks to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. Here is the directions and circuit:
THe circuit shown below has beeen in the form shown for a very long time. THe switchopens at t =0. FInd iR at t equal to (a)0-, (b) 0+, (c) infinity, and (d) 1.5

I'm showing u my work for (a) and (b).

FOr par (a)
WHat I'm confused on is, U see that wire that says at time t =0, its going to switch open. At time t < 0, does that mean there is just a wire there?
Yes. The switch is closed which means it acts as an ideal wire.
Does that mean all the current is going to go through that wire and say screw all the other compoents like the 60, and 40 ohm resistors? THe answer in the back of the book is iR = 0;
well, yes...but please be careful with the language. I might not be the only one who is easily offended :frown:
But is it 0 because all the current will go into that wire with no resistance?
I remember the professor said, if the inductor is shorted(in this case it would be because the circuit has been sitting there for a long time) then anything in parellel with that shorted inductor is also shorted out?
Yes, anything parallel with a wire with no resistance is shorted

For part (b)
iR = 10mA
Is this iR 10mA because when that wire is opened that means the conductor isn't shorted but acts as a huge resistor. Not wanting any current to go through it, so it makes all the current go through the 60 ohm resistor?
Yes
For partt (d) 1.5ms

I need to find x = L/Req,
to find Req, ur suppose to "look" into the inductor and take out all power supplies, in this case I think you would be left with 60 and 40 in parellel, so i got Req = 4mA, L = .1H

I know I'm going to use the equation:
iL(t) = io*e^t/x, where x = L/R, L being the indcutor, R being the equivlent resistance, but what io do i use? io is the initial current i though, usually i use the io i found at time i(0-) but in this case its 0!

The book is getting an answer of 5.34mA.



Thanks!

The current will be of the general form C_1 + C_2 e^(-t/tau). You must impose that at t=0 this reproduces the result at t=0+, so 10 mA. At t=infinity, find the current by replacing the inductor by a wire. That gives you a second condition which will fix C_1 and C_2. Then you can find the current at any time.
 
Thanks for the responce, sorry about the language somtimes when I type i don't realize what I'm actually typing :redface:

I had no idea there was another form like that. Makes sense though!
I used 10ma as C1, and C2, i used the value i got by evaulating the circuit at t(infinity) and i got the following value of iR = (10mA)(40)/(60+40) = 4mA. Which is what the book has. But when i put it into the formula:
10E-3 + 4E-3*e^(-240*1.5E-3) = .012791A or 12.79mA
but the book has: 5.34mA.

Any idea where i misunderstood?
 
mr_coffee said:
Thanks for the responce, sorry about the language somtimes when I type i don't realize what I'm actually typing :redface:
No problem, I am probably too sensitive
I had no idea there was another form like that. Makes sense though!
I used 10ma as C1, and C2, i used the value i got by evaulating the circuit at t(infinity) and i got the following value of iR = (10mA)(40)/(60+40) = 4mA. Which is what the book has. But when i put it into the formula:
10E-3 + 4E-3*e^(-240*1.5E-3) = .012791A or 12.79mA
but the book has: 5.34mA.

Any idea where i misunderstood?

Watch out. If you set t=0 in the equation, you get C_1 + C_2 = 10 mA. If you set t= infinity, you get C_1 = 4 mA (the exponential is zero). So C_2 = 6 mA.

Don`t jump to the conclusion that C_1 is the current at t=0 and C_2 is the current at t=infinity!

Pat
 
nrqed said:
No problem, I am probably too sensitive


Watch out. If you set t=0 in the equation, you get C_1 + C_2 = 10 mA. If you set t= infinity, you get C_1 = 4 mA (the exponential is zero). So C_2 = 6 mA.

Don`t jump to the conclusion that C_1 is the current at t=0 and C_2 is the current at t=infinity!

Pat
Also (I had not checked that part of your calculation) but if you take out all power sources as you said, the inductor will seetwo resistors in series so your equivalent resistance should be 1000 ohms.

Soyou get I(1.5 ms) = 4 mA + 6 mA e^(-100/.1 * 1.5E-3) = 5.34 mA

Patrick
 
ahh thanks again! it worked out nicely and great explanation! But I'm having problems visualing what happens when u "look" through a inductor and simpify from there. For example, in this case would it look like this?
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/1227/lastscan5vx.jpg
 
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