Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

ES116 Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering

Semester 2, 2025-2026
Frequency Response of Series RLC and Transient Response RC Circuits

Lab Instructions:
The students are expected to:
1. Bring their laptop, a blank page and a pen. For mac users you are required to
bring the USB hub (used for connecting USB to Mac).
2. Bring the lab kit provided by the lab staff.

Submission:
1. A report for the lab assignment is to be uploaded as a pdf in the given link. The
naming of the pdf should be: roll1_name1_roll2_name2.pdf.
2. Please note only one report per group is to be uploaded.
Aim: To study and plot the frequency response of a series RLC circuit and to determine
its resonant frequency, bandwidth, and quality factor (Q-factor) and transient
behaviour of RC circuit.

Objectives:
• Understand the behaviour of RLC circuit under AC excitation.
• Observe variations of current, impedance, and voltage across components
with change in input frequency.
• Identify resonant frequency (𝐟ᵣ).
• Determine bandwidth and Q-factor from experimental data.
• Plot the current v/s frequency characteristics.
• Transient characteristics of an RC circuit.

Apparatus Required:
• Function Generator
• Digital Multimeter
• Resistor (1 kΩ)
• Inductor (180 mH)
• Capacitor (220 nF)
• Oscilloscope
• Connecting wires
• Breadboard
Task 1:

Theory: A series RLC circuit consists of a resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C)
connected in series with an AC source. The current flowing into the circuit is given by:
𝑽
𝑰=
𝒁
The impedance of the circuit is given by:

𝒁 = √𝑹𝟐 + (𝑿𝑳 − 𝑿𝑪 )𝟐

Where,
1
𝑋𝐿 = 2𝜋𝑓𝐿, 𝑋𝐶 =
2𝜋𝑓𝐶
At resonance:
• Impedance is minimum i.e. Z=R and current is maximum i.e. I=Imax
• Voltage across L and C is large but opposite in phase
𝑋𝐿 = 𝑋𝐶
1
𝑓𝑟 =
2𝜋√𝐿𝐶
𝑉𝑅
𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑅
Bandwidth:
𝐵𝑊 = 𝑓2 − 𝑓1

where 𝒇𝟏 and 𝒇𝟐 are 3 dB frequencies at which current drops to

𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝐼=
√2
Quality Factor:
𝑓𝑟 𝑋𝐿
𝑄= /
𝐵𝑊 𝑅

Fig.1: Series RLC Circuit

Fig.3: Impedance v/s Frequency

Fig.2: Phasor Diagram for Series RLC Circuit

 Fig.4: Current v/s Frequency

Experimental Procedure:

Circuit Setup:
(ii)

(i)

Fig.5: (i) The circuit setup for measurement of resonance frequency and quality factor. (ii) Breadboard
connections.
 Fig.6: The expected CH1 and Ch2 waveforms at resonance condition in the DSO.

1. Make the circuit shown in Fig. 5 on the breadboard.

2. Set the amplitude (Vm) of the signal (sin-wave) from the function generator to
1 V.
3. Connect the series combination to the sin-wave output of the function
generator.
4. Connect ground of function generator and one terminal of resistance at ground
of breadboard as shown in Fig.5.
5. Connect oscilloscope probes across each component to measure voltages by
varying frequency of the input signal.
6. Determine the phase angle between the input signal (connect to channel 1 of
DSO) and the voltage across the resistor (connect to channel 2 of DSO) as
shown in Fig. 5 (i).
7. Gradually adjust the input signal frequency from low (around 100 Hz) to high
(up to about 3 kHz) in small increments to more precisely identify the resonant
frequency.
8. Identify the frequency at which the phase difference between the input
voltage and the voltage across the resistor approaches zero; this
frequency is defined as the resonance frequency.

Report:

1. Compare experimental resonance frequency value with the mathematical value

computed from formula.
2. Find Q-factor and bandwidth from experimental data.
3. Plot current vs frequency response.
4. State the reason why is the phase difference zero at the time of resonance and
corresponding observation of current and voltage across R.
Data Acquisition:

f VR VL VC I

*Current (I) should be calculated from mathematical formula (I=V/Z).

*Voltage should not be measured between two floating nodes.

*A floating node is a node in an electrical circuit that is not connected to any

reference potential (like ground) and therefore has no defined voltage.

Task 2:
RC Circuit: The transient response of a series RC circuit describes how the capacitor
voltage and circuit current change with time.

Fig.7: RC Circuit
A pulse of amplitude 𝑉 and width 𝑇 :
𝑉, 0 ≤ 𝑡 < 𝑇
𝑣𝑖𝑛 (𝑡) = {
0, 𝑡≥𝑇

This creates two intervals:

1. Charging interval: 0 ≤ 𝑡 < 𝑇

2. Discharging interval: 𝑡 ≥ 𝑇

Time constant: The time constant of an RC circuit is a measure of how fast the
capacitor charges or discharges.

𝝉 = 𝑹𝑪

Where, 𝑅= resistance (ohms), 𝐶= capacitance (farads), 𝜏= time constant (seconds)

• After time constant (𝝉):

o During charging: capacitor voltage reaches 63.2% of its final value
o During discharging: capacitor voltage drops to 36.8% of its initial value
• After 5 𝝉:
o Charging/discharging is considered almost complete (~99.3%)

Capacitor voltage during charging: 𝑉𝐶 (𝑡) = 𝑉(1−𝑒 −𝑡/𝜏 )

𝑇
Capacitor voltage during discharging: 𝑉𝐶 (𝑡) = 𝑉(1 − 𝑒 − 𝜏 )𝑒 (𝑡−𝑇)/ 𝜏

Compact Piecewise Expression for Capacitor Voltage

𝑽(𝟏−𝒆−𝒕/𝝉), 𝟎≤𝒕<𝑻
𝑽𝑪 (𝒕) = {
𝑽(𝟏−𝒆−𝑻/𝝉 )𝒆−(𝒕−𝑻)/𝝉 , 𝒕≥𝑻

❖ Large R or C → large 𝝉 → slower response

❖ Small R or C → small 𝝉 → faster response

Rise Time: Rise time is the time taken by the output voltage to rise from 10% to 90%
of its final value after a step input is applied.

For a first-order RC circuit:

𝑡𝑟 ≈ 2.2 𝑅𝐶 = 2.2 𝜏
Why 2.2 RC?

For a charging capacitor:

 𝑉𝐶 (𝑡) = 𝑉(1 − 𝑒 −𝑡/𝜏 )

At 10% level: 𝑡10 = 0.105 𝜏

At 90% level: 𝑡90 = 2.303 𝜏

𝑡𝑟 = 𝑡90 − 𝑡10 ≈ 2.2 𝜏

Key points:

• Smaller 𝑅𝐶→ faster rise time

• Larger 𝑅𝐶→ slower rise time
• Rise time is a time-domain measure of system speed

Experimental Procedure for Circuit Setup:

1. Remove the inductor keeping the rest of the circuit unchanged so that only the
R and C components remain as shown in Fig.7.
2. Apply a pulse input from the function generator with a peak voltage of 5 V and
a frequency of 300-400Hz.
3. Observe the output waveform (voltage across capacitance), determine the rise
time and time constant.
4. Compare experimental value with the RC circuit’s mathematical value
(computed from formula) of time constant and rise time.
5. Time constant and rise time in the DSO should be measured from CURSOR
option in the DSO.
6. Capture a snapshot of the voltage across capacitance.

Report:

1. Compare experimental time constant value with the mathematical value

computed from formula.
2. Compare experimental rise time value with the mathematical value computed
from formula.
3. Capture snapshot of output voltage across capacitor.