DIFFERENT TYPES OF CIRCUITS

Classification of circuits based on order:

• First Order Circuit: Circuit having differential equation of order one is called first order circuit. Also circuit having single storage element is called first order circuit. Examples: RL, RC circuits.

• Second Order Circuit: Circuit having differential equation of order two is called second order circuit. Also circuit having two storage elements is called second order circuit. Examples: RLC circuits.

Classification of circuits based on linearity:

• Linear Circuit: Value of resistance, inductance and capacitance are constant.They do not vary with voltage or current. In other words, output is proportional to input. Example: RLC circuits.

• Non-linear Circuit: Value of resistance, inductance and capacitance are not constant.They vary with voltage or current. In other words, output is not proportional to input. Examples: Diodes, Transistors.

Reference:
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits (Fifth Edition) by Charles K Alexander and Matthews N O Sadiku