Stromantwort

Stromantwort, or current response, refers to the time-dependent current i(t) that flows in an electrical system after a stimulus such as a voltage step, a change in the current source, or environmental changes. It describes how the current evolves from an initial state to a new steady state and reflects the dynamic properties of the system, including resistance, capacitance, inductance, and possible nonlinear effects.

In linear, time-invariant systems the current response is analyzed through concepts such as step response, impulse response, and transfer functions. A common example is a simple RC circuit in which a voltage step V0 is applied at t = 0 to a series combination of a resistor R and a capacitor C. The current decays as i(t) = (V0/R) e^{-t/(RC)} for t ≥ 0, while the capacitor voltage follows vC(t) = V0(1 − e^{-t/(RC)}). Similar expressions exist for RL circuits and other configurations, illustrating how circuit parameters determine the time constants and the shape of the Stromantwort.

Practically, recording the current response enables the extraction of impedance, time constants, and dynamic behavior of devices, materials, or sensors. It is fundamental in circuit design, transient analysis, electrochemical measurements, and quality assessment of components. The Stromantwort connects time-domain observations to frequency-domain properties, often via Laplace or Fourier analysis, to characterize how a system reacts to arbitrary input signals.