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One of the more useful functions in the study of linear systems is the "unit
impulse function." An ideal impulse function is a function that is zero
everywhere but at the origin, where it is infinitely high. However, the area of
the impulse is finite. This is, at first hard to visualize but we can do so by
using the graphs shown below.
Consider first the ramp function shown in the upper left. It is zero for t<0 and
one for t>T, and goes linearly from 0 to 1 as time goes from 0 to T. If we let
T0, we get a unit step function, (t) (upper right). If we take the derivative of
our ramp function (lower left), we get a rectangular pulse with height 1/T (the
slope of the line) and width T. This rectangular pulse has area (heightwidth)
of one. If we take the limit as T0, we get a pulse of infinite height, zero
width, but still with an area of one; this is the unit impulse and we represent it
by (t). Since we can't show the height of the impulse on our graph, we use
the vertical axis to show the area. The unit impulse has area=1, so that is the
shown height.
Note: this derivation of an impulse function is not unique. The important result is that the
function has zero width and an area of one.
Step Function
Impulse Function
In other words, if the integral includes the origin (where the impulse lies), the
integral is one. If it doesn't include the origin, the integral is zero.
Likewise, and by similar reasoning, if the impulse is not at the origin (and
b>a)
We can simplify this integral by noting that because the impulse is zero
everywhere except when t=0 we can replace (t)f(t) by (t)f(0).
More generally, and by the same reasoning, we can write (with b>a)
Likewise because (t-T) is zero except at t=T we can show (if b>a)
This is called the "sifting" property because the impulse function (t-T) sifts
through the function f(t) and pulls out the value f(T).
Key Concept: Sifting Property of the Impulse
If b>a, then
Solution:
We now that the impulse is zero except at t=0 so
and
Again, we replace the value of "t" in the function that makes the argument of the
impulse equal to 0 (in this case, t=0).
In the second line the argument to the impulse is zero when =t-T, so we
replace in f() by t-T to get the final result.