Time Constant (Noun)

Meaning ¹

(electronics) the time required for the current or voltage in a circuit to rise or fall exponentially through approximately 63 per cent of its amplitude.

Classification

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.

Hypernyms

• Interval

Meaning ²

The ratio of the inductance of a circuit in henries to its resistance in ohms.

Classification

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas.

Examples

• The time constant of the circuit determines how quickly the current will rise or fall when the voltage is changed.
• In a simple RL circuit, the time constant is equal to the ratio of the inductance to the resistance.
• The time constant of the coil is typically measured in milliseconds or seconds.
• A high time constant indicates that the circuit will take longer to reach its final current value.
• The time constant of the circuit can be adjusted by changing the value of the inductor or the resistor.