Question

What is the unit step response of a second order control system?

1) Oscillatory
2) Exponential
3) Linear
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

The unit step response of a second order control system can be oscillatory, exponential, or linear depending on the damping ratio.

Step-by-step explanation:

The unit step response of a second order control system can have different behaviors depending on the damping ratio (ζ). There are three possible cases:

1. If the damping ratio is less than 1, the system is underdamped and the unit step response will be oscillatory.
2. If the damping ratio is equal to 1, the system is critically damped and the unit step response will be exponential without any oscillations.
3. If the damping ratio is greater than 1, the system is overdamped and the unit step response will be linear without any oscillations.