An RC circuit connects a resistor and a capacitor, whereas an RL circuit connects a resistor and an inductor. When connecting a battery, the current in an RC circuit starts with a maximum value as the uncharged capacitor provides zero resistance. Over time, the current decreases as the capacitor charges and finally reaches zero when the capacitor is fully charged. In contrast, the current in an RL circuit starts from zero as the inductor opposes the current change due to self-induced emf of opposite polarity. As the current increases and reaches a steady state, the inductor no longer resists the current flow. In an RC circuit, energy is stored in the form of an electric field, while in an RL circuit, it gets stored in the form of a magnetic field. When the battery is removed, the capacitor and inductor decay through the resistor. During decay, the current in the RC circuit increases to a maximum value, whereas in the RL circuit, it decays exponentially.