Circuit Laboratory - I Dr.

Mohammed Alkrunz

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Lab 5
Resistor Networks, Millman’s and Reciprocity Theorems
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Part A: Resistor Networks

Objectives:
 To investigate what happens when resistor are interconnected in a circuit.

 To investigate the effect of more than one voltage source in a network.

(superposition)

 To satisfy KVL and KCL for a resistive circuit.

Theoretical Background:
The student has to study the solution of the network from any book for electric circuit using
Kirchhoff’s law (KCL and KVL) or superposition theorem.

Experimental Procedure:
I.

1) Connect the circuit as shown in Figure (1)

Figure (1)

2) Adjust the output voltage from power supply unit (PSU) to be 20 volts.

3) Using the voltmeter, measure the voltage across each resistor (Note the polarity of
each voltage), then tabulate your results in table (1).

Resistor Marked value Current (mA) Voltage (V) Actual value

( kΩ) (kΩ)
R1 1.8
R2 1
R3 2.2
R4 0.33
R5 0.47
Table (1)

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Circuit Laboratory - I Dr. Mohammed Alkrunz

4) Measure the current in each component using the multi-meter then tabulate your
results in table (1).

5) From the measured values of current and voltage in each branch, calculate using
ohms law the value of the resistance in each leg of the network, and copy the
results in table (1).

6) Solve the circuit using node voltage method and mesh current method, and
compare the results.

7) Simulate the circuit using Multisim.

II.

1) Connect the circuit as shown in Figure (2).

Figure (2)

2) Switch on the PSU, measure the current in each branch of the network, this will
give the currents in R1, R2, R3 and R5 respectively due to the two sources. Note
both the magnitude and polarity of each current and tabulate them in table (2).

Resistor Marked value I(mA) I’ (mA) I” (mA) I’ (mA) + I” (mA)

( kΩ)
R1 1.8
R2 1
R3 2.2
R4 0.33
R5 0.47
Table (2)

3) Now disconnect the 15 V source and link the resistors R3 and R5 as shown in the
circuit in figure (3).

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Circuit Laboratory - I Dr. Mohammed Alkrunz

Figure (3)

4) Measure and tabulate the magnitude and polarity of the currents I 1’, I2’, I3’, I4’
and I5’.

5) Remove the link between R3 and R5 and replace the 15 v source connections they
were initially.

6) Disconnect the 20V source and link R2 and R3 as shown in figure (4). Measure
the branch currents I1”, I2”, I3”, I4” and I5” as before.

7) Calculate using Kirchhoff’s Maxwell’s (mesh) current method the current in total
network shown in figure (2).

8) Simulate the circuit using Multisim.

Figure (4)

Part B: Millman’s Theorem and the Reciprocity Theorem

Objectives:
After completing this experiment, you should be able to:
 Verify experimentally Millman’s theorem for parallel- connected voltage sources.

 Verify experimentally the reciprocity theorem for single- source DC networks.

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Circuit Laboratory - I Dr. Mohammed Alkrunz

Theoretical Background:
a) Millman’s Theorem :

Figure (5a) Figure (5b)

If we have a circuit like this shown in figure (5a), then Millman’s Theorem provide us
with an analytical tool that allows us to replace the parallel sources by one single
equivalent source in series with a single equivalent resistance.

Millman’s Theorem is applicable to circuits of the general form illustrated in figure (5a).
With respect to the terminals A-B in this figure, the Millman equivalent circuit is shown
in figure (5b), where RM is the parallel equivalent resistance of R1, R2, … Rn; can be
computed by the relation:

1 1
RM  
1 1 1 GM
  ......... 
R1 R2 Rn
and
E E E 
E M   1  2  ..........  n  * RM
 R1 R2 Rn 
 E1 E 2 E 
   .....  n 
or E M   1
R R2 Rn 
GM

We use then (+) sign in front of E if it has the polarity of one of those shown in figure
(5a), and the sign (-) if it has the opposite polarity.

b) The Reciprocity Theorem :

The reciprocity theorem states that when a voltage source is moved to another location
in a DC circuit, the current where it was originally located will be the same as the current
that was originally in the location to which it was moved.

This theorem is only applicable to circuits which contain a single voltage source. Also,
when the voltage source is moved to a new location, it must be placed with a polarity
that produces current in the same direction as the current that was originally flowing in
that location.

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Circuit Laboratory - I Dr. Mohammed Alkrunz

Figure (6) illustrates the reciprocity theorem. This figure shows that when the 20 V
source is moved from the branch A- B to the branch C- D, the 0.1 A current that was
flowing in C- D then flows in A- B. Note in figure (6b) that the polarity of the located
voltage source is such that it will produce current in the same direction as the current
originally in C- D of Figure (6a).

Figure (6a) Figure (6b)

Experimental Procedure:
I.

a) After measuring the actual resistance values of resistors used, connect the circuit
shown in figure (7a), E1 and E2 are power supplies that has been set to 5V and
10V before being connected in the circuit.

Figure (7a) Figure (7b)

b) Measure and record the following:

- The voltage across the terminals A- B with the 1kΩ resistor connected.

- The current in the 1kΩ resistor.

- The voltage across the open-circuited terminals A- B after having removed

the 1kΩ resistor.

c) Using the resistor values measured in step1; compute the millman equivalent
voltage and resistance EM and RM.

d) Connect the circuit as shown in figure (7b). EM and RM are the values computed n
step 3.

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Circuit Laboratory - I Dr. Mohammed Alkrunz

e) Repeat step (b) for the circuit in figure (7b).

f) Simulate the circuit using Multisim.

II.

1) Connect the circuit as shown in figure (8a).

Figure (8a) Figure (8b)

2) Measure and record the currents I1, I2 and I3 flowing as shown in the figure.

3) Now connect the power supply in series with the 1.8kΩ resistor and measure the
current I. See the figure (8b), and note the polarity of the relocated power source.

4) In a similar way, relocate the power supply so that it will be in series with the 2.2kΩ
and the 470Ω resistance and again measure the current I.