RL Circuit

This interactive simulator explores RL Circuit in Electricity & Magnetism. Series RL: ฯ„ = L/R, i(t) rise & decay, v_L; DC steady i = V/R. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • circuit
  • rl circuit
  • electricity
  • magnetism

Live graphs

How it works

A resistor and inductor in series contrast with **RC Circuit**: here the **current** is continuous, while the inductor voltage can jump. With a DC source, **L di/dt + R i = V** gives **i(t) = (V/R)(1 โˆ’ e^(โˆ’t/ฯ„))** from rest, **ฯ„ = L/R**. Removing the source with current flowing yields exponential decay of **i** with the same ฯ„.

Key equations

ฯ„ = L/R, ย  rising: L di/dt + R i = V
decay in RL loop: L di/dt + R i = 0 ย โ†’ย  i โˆ e^(โˆ’t/ฯ„)