Chapters 15 and 16

Introduction to the Laplace

Transform

1
 Definition of Laplace Transform

F ( s )   f (t )e  st dt  L  f (t )
0

Unit step function Exponential function Impulse function

 
L u (t )    1e  st dt L u (t )e  t    e  t e  st dt 
0
0 L  (t )     (t )e  st dt
0
1
 1
s  1
s 
2
 Properties of Laplace Transform

La1 f1 (t )  a2 f 2 (t )  a1F1 ( s)  a2 F2 ( s) Linearity

L f (at ) 
1 s
F( ) Scaling
a a

L f (t  a )u (t  a )  e  as F ( s ) Time Shift

 
L e  at f (t )u (t )  F ( s  a ) Frequency Shift

 df 
L    sF ( s )  f (0 ) Time Differentiation
 dt 

L   f (t )dt   F ( s)
t 1
Time Integration
 0  s

Ltf (t )  
dF ( s)
Frequency Differentiation
ds

f (0)  lim sF ( s) Initial Value Theorem

s 

f ()  lim sF ( s ) Final Value Theorem

3
s0
 The Inverse Laplace Transform

Suppose F(s) has the general form of

N ( s)......nume rator polynomial
F ( s) 
D( s)...denominato r polynomial
The finding the inverse Laplace transform of F(s) involves
two steps:
1. Decompose F(s) into simple terms using partial fraction
expansion.
2. Find the inverse of each term by matching entries in
Laplace Transform Table.
4
Example: Find the inverse Laplace transform of
3 5 6
F (s)    2
s s 1 s  4

Solution:
1  3  1  5  1  6 
f (t )  L    L  L  2 
 
s  s  1   s  4 
  3  5e  t  3sin(2t )  u (t ), t  0

5
 The Convolution Integral Property

• It is defined as y(t )   x( )h(t   )d or y(t )  x(t ) * h(t )


• Given two functions, f1(t) and f2(t) with Laplace Transforms

F1(s) and F2(s), respectively
F1 ( s) F2 ( s)  L f1 (t ) * f 2 (t )

• Example: y (t )  4e  t and h(t )  5e 2t

 5  4 
h(t ) * x(t )  L1 H ( s) X ( s)  L1  
t  2t
  20(e  e ), t  0
 s  2  s  1 

6
 Application to differential Equations

• The Laplace transform is useful in solving linear integro-

differential equations.
• Each term in the integro-differential equation is transformed
into s-domain.
• Initial conditions are automatically taken into account.
• The resulting algebraic equation in the s-domain can then be
solved easily.
• The solution is then converted back to time domain.

7
Example: Assume the initial conditions are given as v(0) = 1; v’(0) = -2. Use
the Laplace transform to solve the differential equation.
d 2v(t ) dv(t )
2
6  8v(t )  2u (t )
dt dt

Solution: Taking the Laplace transform of each term in the given

differential equation and obtain
2
 s 2V ( s )  sv (0)  v '(0)   6  sV ( s )  v(0)   8V ( s ) 
s
Substituting v(0)  1; v '(0)  2, we have
2
( s  6 s  8)V ( s )  s  4 
2

s
2
s4 1 1 1
s 1
V (s)  2  V (s)  4 2
 4  v (t )  (1  2e 2t  e 4t )u (t )
s  6s  8 s s2 s4 4

8
Usage of Laplace Transform in Circuits
1. Transform the circuit from the time
domain to the s-domain as seen in the
figure.

2. Solve the circuit using any of nodal

analysis, mesh analysis, source
transformation, superposition, or any
circuit analysis technique with which we
are familiar

3. Take the inverse transform of the

solution and thus obtain the solution in
the time domain.

9
Example: Find v0(t) in the circuit shown,
assuming zero initial conditions.
3
Answer: v0 ( s)  e 4t sin( 2t ) V, t  0
2

Example: Determine v0(t) in the circuit shown,

assuming zero initial conditions.
Answer: 8(1  e2t  2te2t )u(t ) V

Example 3: Find v0(t) in the circuit

shown. Assume v0(0)=5V .
Answer: v0 (t )  (10et  15e2t )u(t ) V

10
Example: Consider the given circuit. Find
the value of the voltage across the capacitor
assuming that the value of vs(t)=10u(t) V
and assume that at t=0, -1A flows through
the inductor and +5 is across the capacitor.

35 30
Asnwer: V1    v1 (t )  (35e  t  30e 2t )u (t ) V
s 1 s  2

11
 Transfer Function H(s)
Y ( s)
H ( s) 
X ( s)

• H(s) is the ratio of the output response Y(s) to the input response X(s).
• h(t) is the impulse response function

Example: The output of a linear system is y(t)=10e-tcos4t when the input is x(t)=e-tu(t). Find the
transfer function of the system and its impulse response.
Solution:
Y ( s) 10( s  1) 2 4
H ( s)    10  40  h(t )  10 (t )  40et sin(4t )u(t )
X ( s) ( s  1)  16
2
( s  1)  16
2

12
 State Variables

• Steps:
 Select all inductor currents as state variables
 Select all capacitor voltages as state variables
 Apply Nodal analysis or Mesh analysis to the circuit and obtain the
circuit variables in terms of state variables.
 When the above is done, a set of differential equations will be
obtained. Put these equations into a matrix equation form.
 Obtain the output equations in terms of state variables. Put these
equations into a matrix equation form.

13
 Example: Obtain the state variable model for the
circuit shown below. Let R1=1, R2=2
,C=0.5F and L=0.2H and obtain the transfer
function.

 1 1 
 1 
 v   R1C C  v   v 
    R1C  vs ,
20
Answer: i    v0   0 R2    ; H(s ) 
   1  R2   i    i  s 2  12 s  30
  
 0 
 L L 

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