Solution 7.68
This is a very interesting problem which has both an ideal solution as well as a realistic
solution. Let us look at the ideal solution first. Just before the switch closes, the value of
the voltage across the capacitor is zero which means that the voltage at both terminals
input of the op amp are each zero. As soon as the switch closes, the output tries to go to a
voltage such that both inputs to the op amp go to 4 volts. The ideal op amp puts out
whatever current is necessary to reach this condition. An infinite (impulse) current is
necessary if the voltage across the capacitor is to go to 8 volts in zero time (8 volts across
the capacitor will result in 4 volts appearing at the negative terminal of the op amp). So
vo will be equal to 8 volts for all t > 0.
What happens in a real circuit? Essentially, the output of the amplifier portion of the op
amp goes to whatever its maximum value can be. Then this maximum voltage appears
across the output resistance of the op amp and the capacitor that is in series with it. This
results in an exponential rise in the capacitor voltage to the steady-state value of 8 volts.