The transient response represents the initial reaction immediately after a sudden change, such as closing or opening a switch to connect a source to the circuit. This is also called the early time response.
The addition of capacitors and inductors to circuits containing time-varying sources opens the door to dynamic circuits with a wide range of practical applications. Because capacitors and inductors store energy, they can be used to smooth out or average time-varying voltages or currents, select
or filter out different frequencies, and delay circuit responses. Capacitive sensors can also be used to measure proximity, touch, pressure, moisture, vibration, and more. Both capacitors and inductors also are found as unintended parasitics in all circuits. The dynamic, time-varying responses of capacitors and inductors provide a new and important set of tools for controlling voltage and current. The dynamic response of a circuit to a certain voltage or current source depends on both the architecture of the circuit and the waveform characterizing the time variation of that source. In general, the response consists of a transient component and a steady-state component.
Discussion topic: Discuss the transient versus steady state properties of a circuit containing resistor (R), inductor (L) and capacitor (C).
