RL Circuit Simulator

Simulate inductor current rise and decay in an RL circuit

R (ohm)

L (mH)

V/I0

t (s)

Mode

RL Circuit Formulas

Time constant	tau = L / R
Current rise	i(t) = (V/R)(1 - e^(-t/tau))
Current decay	i(t) = I0e^(-t/tau)

Practical Rules

At 1 tau, rising current reaches about 63.2% of final current.
At 5 tau, current is usually treated as nearly settled.
Increasing inductance slows the current response.
Increasing resistance lowers the final current and shortens the time constant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RL time constant?▼

The RL time constant is tau = L / R. It describes how quickly inductor current rises or decays.

What is the current rise formula?▼

For a DC step, current rise is i(t) = (V/R)(1 - e^(-tR/L)).

What is the current decay formula?▼

Inductor current decay can be modeled as i(t) = I0 e^(-tR/L).

How does inductance affect response?▼

Larger inductance increases the time constant and makes current change more slowly.

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