3 – Applications of First Order ODE

[Part 2 of 3]
ES 21: Differential Equations for Engineers

David A. Agbayani

Note: These lecture slides are not meant to be published.

• We’ve gone through mixtures, dynamics, and even orthogonal
trajectories (yes, more math) as applications for differential
equations.

• For this set of slides, we will be looking at its application on

electrical circuits and nuclear chemistry.

• Let’s hope your chemistry instructor did a good job on those half-life
lectures. (thinking emoji)
 IV. Electrical Circuits
Symbols and notations:

• 𝑖 : current around the loop, amperes (A)

• 𝑅 : resistance, ohms (𝛺)
• 𝐸 or 𝑒𝑚𝑓 : electromotive force, volts (V)
• 𝑄 : charge, Coulombs (C)
• 𝐿 : inductance, Henry (H)
• 𝐸𝑅 : voltage drop across a resistor, volts (V)
• 𝐸𝐶 : voltage drop across a capacitor, volts (V)
• 𝐸𝐿 : voltage drop across an inductor, volts (V)
• 𝑡 : time, seconds (s)
 IV. Electrical Circuits
We will be looking at two types of circuits:

• Resistor (R) – Inductor (L) Circuit [R-L Circuit]

• Resistor (R) – Capacitor (C) Circuit [R-C Circuit]

 A. Resistor-Inductor Circuit
• The voltage drop across a resistor can be expressed as

𝐸𝑅 = 𝑖𝑅
• The voltage drop across the inductor is expressed as

𝑑𝑖
𝐸𝐿 = 𝐿
𝑑𝑡
as determined experimentally.
 A. Resistor-Inductor Circuit
• By Kirchhoff’s Second Law,

𝐸𝐿 + 𝐸𝑅 = 𝐸
𝑑𝑖
𝐿 + 𝑖𝑅 = 𝐸
𝑑𝑡

𝑑𝑖
• Case 1: If emf is constant: 𝐿 + 𝑖𝑅 = 𝐸
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑖
• Case 2: If emf is periodic or sinusoidal: 𝐿 + 𝑖𝑅 = 𝐸 sin 𝜔𝑡
𝑑𝑡
 B. Resistor-Capacitor Circuit
• The voltage drop across a resistor can be expressed as

𝐸𝑅 = 𝑖𝑅
• The voltage drop across the capacitor is expressed as

𝑄
𝐸𝐶 =
𝐶
as determined experimentally.
 B. Resistor-Capacitor Circuit
• By Kirchhoff’s Second Law,

𝐸𝑅 + 𝐸𝐶 = 𝐸
𝑄
𝑖𝑅 + = 𝐸
𝐶
• Differentiating with respect to time t,

𝑑𝑖 1 𝑑𝑄 𝑑𝐸
𝑅 + =
𝑑𝑡 𝐶 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑄
and since current 𝑖 can be written as the change in charge over time
ൗ𝑑𝑡, we can write the above equation as
𝑑𝑖 1 𝑑𝐸
𝑅 + 𝑖=
𝑑𝑡 𝐶 𝑑𝑡
 B. Resistor-Capacitor Circuit
• Case 1: If emf is constant:
𝑑𝑖 𝑖
𝑅 + =0
𝑑𝑡 𝐶
• Case 2: If emf is periodic or sinusoidal:
𝑑𝑖 𝑖 𝑑[𝐸0 sin 𝜔𝑡]
𝑅 + =
𝑑𝑡 𝐶 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑖 𝑖
𝑅 + = 𝐸0 𝜔 cos 𝜔𝑡
𝑑𝑡 𝐶

• Both cases are then to be solved under the conditions of an open circuit,
that is, at 𝑡 = 0, 𝑖 = 0.
 Example 4
• In an R-L circuit, the inductance L is 1 Henry and the resistance R
1
is expressed as ohms. The initial conditions are 𝑡 = 0, 𝑖 = 0.
𝑡+5
Determine the voltage E so that 𝑖 = 30 𝐴 when 𝑡 = 5 𝑠.

• What is asked?
𝐸 𝑠. 𝑡. such that 𝑖 = 30 𝐴 at 𝑡 = 5 𝑠

• This means we need to use the differential equation relating

𝑅, 𝐿, 𝑖, and 𝑡.
• That’s simply Case 1 of an R-L Circuit, since it was not specified
that emf is periodic/sinusoidal.
 Example 4
• In an R-L circuit, the inductance L is 1 Henry and the resistance R
1
is expressed as ohms. The initial conditions are 𝑡 = 0, 𝑖 = 0.
𝑡+5
Determine the voltage E so that 𝑖 = 30 𝐴 when 𝑡 = 5 𝑠.

• What is given?
𝑑𝑖
𝐿 + 𝑖𝑅 = 𝐸
𝑑𝑡

𝑑𝑖 1
1 +𝑖 =𝐸
𝑑𝑡 𝑡+5
 Example 4
𝑑𝑖 1
+ 𝑖=𝐸
𝑑𝑡 𝑡+5
• If you look closely, this equation is linear in 𝑖.
• Solving for the integrating factor,
1
‫𝑡׬‬+5𝑑𝑡
𝑒 = 𝑒 ln(𝑡+5) = 𝑡 + 5
• Multiplying the integrating factor and 𝑑𝑡 to the entire equation,
1
𝑡 + 5 𝑑𝑖 + 𝑡 + 5 𝑖 𝑑𝑡 = 𝐸 𝑡 + 5 𝑑𝑡
𝑡+5
• The entire left side is just the total differential of the integrating
factor and the dependent variable.
𝑑 𝑖 𝑡 + 5 = 𝐸 𝑡 + 5 𝑑𝑡
 Example 4
𝑑 𝑖 𝑡+5 = 𝐸 𝑡 + 5 𝑑𝑡
• Integrating both sides,
1
𝑖 𝑡+5 =𝐸∙ 𝑡+5 2+𝑐
2
𝐸
𝑖 𝑡+5 = 𝑡+5 2+𝑐
2
• Substituting the initial conditions to get the value of c, that is, at
𝑡 = 0, 𝑖 = 0,
𝐸
0= 5 2+𝑐
2
25𝐸
𝑐=−
2
 Example 4
• This gives us a particular solution of

𝐸 2
25𝐸
𝑖 𝑡+5 = 𝑡+5 −
2 2
• Now we can compute for the value of E such that 𝑖 = 30 𝐴 at 𝑡 =
5 𝑠.
𝐸 2
25𝐸
30 10 = 10 −
2 2
25
300 = 𝐸 50 −
2

𝑬=𝟖𝑽
 V. Half-Life
• For the half-life of a given substance, the relationship of the rate of
disintegration to the amount of substance remaining is crucial.

• Most if not all of the time, the two are directly proportional.
𝑑𝑥
∝𝑥
𝑑𝑡
where 𝑥 is the amount of the given substance, and
𝑡 represents time.
• We can then assign a proportionality constant 𝑘 to relate the two.
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑘𝑥
𝑑𝑡
 Example 5
• Radium disintegrates at a rate proportional to the amount of
radium instantaneously present. If one-half of any given amount
will disappear in 1,590 years, what fraction will disintegrate
during the first century? How long will it be before one-fourth of
the original amount has disintegrated?

• What is asked?
𝑥
• If is the remaining fraction where 𝑥0 is the initial amount, then
𝑥0
𝑥
the disintegrated fraction is given by 1 − .
𝑥0
𝑥
1− at 𝑡 = 100 𝑦𝑟𝑠
𝑥0
 Example 5
• Radium disintegrates at a rate proportional to the amount of
radium instantaneously present. If one-half of any given amount
will disappear in 1,590 years, what fraction will disintegrate
during the first century? How long will it be before one-fourth of
the original amount has disintegrated?

• What else is asked?

𝑥 1
𝑡 at 1 − =
𝑥0 4
 Example 5
• Radium disintegrates at a rate proportional to the amount of
radium instantaneously present. If one-half of any given amount
will disappear in 1,590 years, what fraction will disintegrate
during the first century? How long will it be before one-fourth of
the original amount has disintegrated?

• What is given?
𝑥 1
= at 𝑡 = 1,590 𝑦𝑟𝑠
𝑥0 2
• We also have the differential equation relating 𝑥 and 𝑡.
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑘𝑥
𝑑𝑡
 Example 5
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑘𝑥
𝑑𝑡
• Separating variables,
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑘 𝑑𝑡
𝑥
• Integrating both sides,
ln 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑡 + 𝑐
• At 𝑡 = 0, 𝑥 = 𝑥0 . We use these initial conditions to solve for c.
ln 𝑥0 = 0 + 𝑐
𝑐 = ln 𝑥0
• We now have a particular solution of
ln 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑡 + ln 𝑥0
 Example 5
• To solve for the proportionality constant 𝑘, we use the half-life, or
𝑥 1
= at 𝑡 = 1,590 𝑦𝑟𝑠.
𝑥0 2
ln 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑡 + ln 𝑥0
ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑥0 = 𝑘𝑡
𝑥
ln = 𝑘𝑡
𝑥0
1
ln = 𝑘(1590)
2
𝑘 = −0.000435941

𝑥
ln = −0.000435941𝑡
𝑥0
 Example 5
𝑥
• Solving for 1 − at 𝑡 = 100 𝑦𝑟𝑠,
𝑥0
𝑥
ln = −0.000435941𝑡
𝑥0
𝑥
= 𝑒 −0.000435941𝑡
𝑥0
𝑥
= 𝑒 −0.000435941(100)
𝑥0
𝑥
= 0.957
𝑥0
• If this is the fraction remaining, then the fraction disintegrated is
𝒙
𝟏− = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒𝟑 = 𝟒. 𝟑%
𝒙𝟎
 Example 5
𝑥 1
• Solving for 𝑡 at 1 − = ,
𝑥0 4
𝑥 1 𝑥 3
1− = , =
𝑥0 4 𝑥0 4
𝑥
ln = −0.000435941𝑡
𝑥0
3
ln = −0.000435941𝑡
4

𝒕 = 𝟔𝟓𝟗. 𝟗𝟏 𝒚𝒓𝒔 ≈ 𝟔𝟔𝟎 𝒚𝒓𝒔