Common Laplace Transform Pairs

Time Domain Function Laplace Domain

Name Definition* Function
Unit Impulse δ (t ) 1
1
Unit Step γ (t) †

s
1
Unit Ramp t
s2
2
Parabola t2
s3
1
Exponential e − at
s+a
Asymptotic 1 1
(1 − e −at )
Exponential a s( s + a)

Dual Exponential
1
b−a
(
e −at − e −bt ) 1
( s + a )( s + b)
1  
( be − at − ae − bt ) 
Asymptotic Dual 1 1
1+
Exponential ab  a − b  s ( s + a )( s + b)
Time multiplied 1
te − at
Exponential ( s + a) 2
ω0
Sine sin(ω0 t)
s + ω02
2

s
Cosine cos(ω0 t)
s + ω02
2

ωd
Decaying Sine e − at sin(ωd t)
(s + a) 2 + ωd2
s+a
Decaying Cosine e − at cos(ωd t)
(s + a) 2 + ωd2
 C − aB  Bs + C
Generic Oscillatory
e − at  Bcos ( ωd t ) + sin ( ωd t ) 
(s + a ) + ωd2
2
Decay
 ωd 
Prototype Second
Order Lowpass,
underdamped
ω0
1− ζ 2 (
e −ζω0 t sin ω0 1 − ζ 2 t ) ω02
s 2 + 2ζω0s + ω02

Prototype Second
1−
1
1− ζ 2 (
e −ζω0 t sin ω0 1 − ζ 2 t + φ )
Order Lowpass, ω02
underdamped  1− ζ2 
- φ = tan −1   s(s 2 + 2ζω0s + ω02 )
 ζ 
Step Response
 

*All time domain functions are implicitly=0 for t<0 (i.e. they are multiplied by unit step, γ(t)).
†u(t) is more commonly used for the step, but is also used for other things. γ(t) is chosen to avoid confusion
(and because in the Laplace domain it looks a little like a step function, Γ(s)).
 Common Laplace Transform Properties
Name Illustration
f (t) ←L
→ F(s)
Definition of Transform ∞
F(s) = ∫ − f (t)e − st dt
0

Linearity Af1 (t ) + Bf 2 (t ) ←→ L

AF1 ( s ) + BF2 ( s )
df (t ) L
First Derivative ←→ sF ( s ) − f (0 − )
dt
2
d f (t ) L
Second Derivative ←→ s 2 F ( s ) − sf (0 − ) − f (0 − )
dt 2
d n f (t ) L n
nth Derivative
dt n
← → s n
F ( s ) − ∑i =1
s n−i f (i −1) (0 − )

t 1
∫0 f (λ )dλ ←→ s F (s)
L
Integral

dF ( s )
Time Multiplication tf (t ) ←→ L
−
ds
Time Delay f (t − a) γ (t − a) ←→ e − as F(s)
L

γ(t) is unit step

− at
Complex Shift f (t )e ←→
L
F (s + a)
t L
Scaling f   ←→ aF (as )
a
Convolution Property f1 (t ) * f 2 (t ) ←→
L
F1 ( s ) F2 ( s )
Initial Value
(Only if F(s) is strictly proper; lim f (t ) = lim sF ( s )
t →0 + s →∞
order of numerator < order of denominator).
Final Value
(if final value exists; lim f (t ) = lim sF ( s )
t →∞ s →0
e.g., decaying exponentials or constants)