Inductor Transient Response :
Inductors  have the exact opposite characteristics of capacitors. Whereas  capacitors store energy in an electric field (produced by the voltage  between two plates), inductors store energy in a magnetic field  (produced by the current through wire). Thus, while the stored energy in  a capacitor tries to maintain a constant voltage across its terminals,  the stored energy in an inductor tries to maintain a constant current  through its windings. Because of this, inductors oppose changes in  current, and act precisely the opposite of capacitors, which oppose  changes in voltage. A fully discharged inductor (no magnetic field),  having zero current through it, will initially act as an open-circuit  when attached to a source of voltage (as it tries to maintain zero  current), dropping maximum voltage across its leads. Over time, the  inductor's current rises to the maximum value allowed by the circuit,  and the terminal voltage decreases correspondingly. Once the inductor's  terminal voltage has decreased to a minimum (zero for a "perfect"  inductor), the current will stay at a maximum level, and it will behave  essentially as a short-circuit. 
When a battery is  connected to a series resistor and inductor, the inductor resists the  change in current and the current therefore builds up slowly. Acting in  accordance with Faraday's law and Lenz's law, the amount of impedance to  the buildup of current is proportional to the rate of change of the  current. That is, the faster you try to make it change, the more it  resists. The current builds up toward the value it would have with the  resistor alone because once the current is no longer changing, the  inductor offers no impedance. The rate of this buildup is often  characterized by the time constant L/R . Establishing a current in an  inductor stores energy in the magnetic field formed by the coils of the  inductor. 

Example :
When  the switch is first closed, the voltage across the inductor will  immediately jump to battery voltage (acting as though it were an  open-circuit) and decay down to zero over time (eventually acting as  though it were a short-circuit). Voltage across the inductor is  determined by calculating how much voltage is being dropped across R,  given the current through the inductor, and subtracting that voltage  value from the battery to see what's left. When the switch is first  closed, the current is zero, then it increases over time until it is  equal to the battery voltage divided by the series resistance of 1 Ω.  This behavior is precisely opposite that of the series  resistor-capacitor circuit, where current started at a maximum and  capacitor voltage at zero. Let's see how this works using real values: 
Just as with the RC circuit, the inductor voltage's approach to 0 volts and the current's approach to 15 amps over time is asymptotic. For all practical purposes, though, we can say that the inductor voltage will eventually reach 0 volts and that the current will eventually equal the maximum of 15 amps.
Equations for RL Circuits :
Time constant = TC = L/R


