Parallel RLC Circuit

Laboratory Report
Levy V. Medina II
3 BS Computer Engineering
ECCE Department
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyala Heights, Quezon City
levymedina3@gmail.com

Abstract The aim of this experiment is to familiarize the

researchers with the different types of natural response
associated with parallel RLC circuits. This activity also
involves the concept of Second Order Differential Equations.
Second Order Differential Equations are a type of differential
equation with the second power as its highest exponent. [2]
Second Order Differential Equations often express the voltage
or current of a storage device in a circuit with 2 storage
devices. Differential Equations can show the respective voltage
or current of the component over time, often divided into the
transient response and the forced response. The activity will be
done by simulating the given circuit, taking note of the graph
and comparing the important values in the graph with the
theoretical computed equation with varying resistances. The
researchers were able to perform the experiment successfully.
Familiarization with second order differential equations was
achieved and how it can be applied was learned.[1]
Index TermsParallel RLC circuits; natural response;
second order differential circuits

I. INTRODUCTION
An RLC circuit is an electrical circuit that utilizes the
following components connected in either series or parallel:
a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor. Since there are two
independent energy storage elements, these types of circuits
can be described through the use of second order differential
equations. For this particular lab experiment, we will be
focusing on parallel RLC circuits and the natural response
associated to them.
Like a series RLC circuit, the natural response of the
circuit can take one of the following three forms. (1) the
overdamped response, whose roots are real and distinct, (2)
the critically damped response, whose roots are equal , real
and repeated, and (3) the underdamped response, which has
complex roots. A parallel RLC circuits natural response
will take one of the three forms mentioned based on the
relative magnitudes of and o or whatever constants are
used.

Julius Jay R. Sambo

4 BS Computer Engineering
ECCE Department
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyala Heights, Quezon City
juliusj.sambo@gmail.com

II.

THEORETICAL INFORMATION

Since a parallel RLC circuit provides a second ordcr

differential equation, solving for the total response of either
the inductor current or the capacitor voltage will provide a
natural (or transient) response, and if applicable, a forced or
steady-state response. Like in the previous experiments, the
second order differential equation takes on the form:
!

+ !
+ ! = (1)
!

where x(t) is a voltage v(t) or a current i(t).

To find the natural response, we set the forced response
f(t) to zero, and then substitute the s-equation (Aest) in order
to get the characteristic equation:
! + ! + ! = 0 2 .
Using the quadratic equation, we find the roots s1 and s2:
! ( ! ! 4! )
3 .
2
By using the result of the equation inside the square root
( ! ! 4! ), we can categorize the natural response
according to their roots.
Case 1 wherein ! ! 4! > 0, will produce real roots
and is called the overdamped response. Its solution will
follow the form:
! = ! !!! + ! !!! 4 .
Case 2 wherein ! ! 4! = 0, will produce repeated
roots and is called the critically damped response. Its
solution will follow the form:
! = (! + ! ) !" 5 .
Case 3 wherein ! ! 4! < 0, will produce complex
roots and is called the underdamped response. Its solution
will follow the form:
! = !" [! cos t + ! sin t ] 6 .
! , ! =

III.

IV.

METHODOLOGY

A. Materials
As in the previous laboratory experiments, only a
computer simulated circuit was utilized. The program
Multisim was used for this experiment. In this simulated
circuit, the following components were used: a 1 Ohm
resistor, a 2V voltage source, inductors of different values, a
0.25F capacitor, a varying current source and an
oscilloscope.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1. Graphs formed by the different circuits

Is
3
A

L
1.33
H

3
A

1m
H

1
A

1H

Sketch of Transient V

B. Procedures
1.

Using Multisim, construct the circuit shown in

Figure 1.

Figure 1. Parallel RLC circuit

2.

Observe the voltage across the resistor using

the oscilloscope with the following component
configurations: Is = -3A, Vs = 2V, C= 0.25F,
and L = 1.33H.

3.

Start the simulation and record the resulting

graph.

4.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the inductor and

current pair values: -3A and 1mH, -1A and
1H.

5.

Tabulate and record data for further analysis.

As stated in the methodology, we constructed the

circuit in a circuit simulation program. Table 1 shows the
graph of the different circuit configurations stated in the
experiment. We choose transient as the analysis type since
we are looking at the natural response of the circuit.
The various graphs of the circuit configurations
show that all represent an underdamped response, which
means it follows the third case, which produces complex
roots. This is further verified by the computation for the
theoretical natural response function of each circuit
configuration. The results for which can be seen in Table 2.
For the forced response function, which we based on the
graphs formed by the circuit, we get zero as in all cases, the
graph approaches zero. For the theoretical forced response
value, there is no expression to the right of the equation,
indicating that there is no steady-state response.

Table 2. Summary of Values

Is

-3A

1.33H

-3A

1mH

-1A

1H

Theoretical Natural
Response Function

Forced
Response
Function

Theoretical
Response
Value

!!! [! cos 1.42

+ ! sin 1.42 ]
!!! [! cos 28
+ ! sin 28 ]
!!! [! cos 2
+ ! sin 2 ]

Solving for the natural and forced response of the circuit:

Through KCL, we get this general second order
differential equation which we can use to get the natural
response for each circuit configuration:

! ! !!
!! !

! !"!

! !"

!!
!

=0

Using the characteristic equation, we get the following:

!

! + + = 0
Case 1: Is = -3A, L = 1.33H
Substituting the values to the equation we get:
1
0.25 ! + +
=0
1.33
Case 2: Is = -3A, L = 1mH
Substituting the values to the equation we get:
1
0.25 ! + +
=0
110!!
Case 3: Is = -1A, L = 1H
Substituting the values to the equation we get:
0.25 ! + + 1 = 0
With these equations, we got the values placed in Table
2.
V.

CONCLUSION

Through the simulation of the circuit through

Multisim, the researchers were able to observe the natural
response in the parallel RLC circuit.
VI.

REFERENCES

[1] Johnson, D., Johnson, J., & Hilburn, J. (n.d.). Electric

Circuit Analysis (Second ed.)
[2] Pauls Online Notes : Differential Equations - Second
Order DE's. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015.