time constant

noun, adj — 4 senses

time constant

nounalso spelled time-constant

Mathematics, Sciences A characteristic of an exponential function, represented by τ in the function

y(t)=y_oe.

Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics The time in which a physical system's response to a step-wise change in an external variable reaches approximately 63% of its final (asymptotic) value.

For radioactivity: the decay constant.

time-constant

adj

Of or pertaining to a time constant.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for time constant and time-constant.