ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns responses to step and impulse inputs, which are the most basic examples of "sudden changes" applied to circuits. Impulse responses are fundamental to signals and systems analysis, including convolution and the Laplace transform,. The chapter presents the fundamental attributes of an impulse and introduces the impulse response as a limiting case of a pulse response of a capacitor. This is followed by a discussion of the step and impulse responses of single capacitors and series and parallel combinations of a capacitor and a resistor. The same procedure is applied to the step and impulse responses of single inductors and series and parallel combinations of an inductor and a resistor. These cases are used to illustrate some important concepts concerning the responses of capacitors and inductors to sudden changes. The chapter ends with a generalization of the concepts presented to circuits consisting of capacitors, inductors, and resistors.
