Principles and Applications of Electrical

Engineering
Sixth Edition

Chapter 3

Resistive Network Analysis

R𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢 ∎ Kearns © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.

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 3.1 Network Analysis

• Objective of network analysis

– Determine unknown branch currents and/or node voltages
• Process
– Define variables
• Identify known and unknown values of variables
– Write a set of equations relating the variables
– Solve equations using suitable techniques

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 Example 3.1

• Identify the branch and node voltages and the loop and
mesh currents in the circuit

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 3.2 The Node Voltage Method

• Based on defining the voltage at each node as an

independent variable
– Choose one node as reference node
• Express each branch current in terms of one or more
node voltages
– Use Ohm’s law
• Apply KCL to each non-reference node
• Result: only node voltages and known parameters appear
in equations
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 The Node Voltage Method (cont’d.)

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 Example 3.2: Solving for Branch Currents

• Problem: solve for all branch currents and node voltages

in the figure
– Given: i1 = 10mA, i2 = 50mA, R1 = 1kΩ:
R2 = 2kΩ = R4; R3 = 10kΩ

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 Solving for Branch Currents (cont’d.)

• Choose node at bottom of circuit as reference

• Apply KCL at each node

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 Solving for Branch Currents (cont’d.)

• Rewrite equations as function of the node voltages

• Solve the system of equations

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 Solving for Branch Currents (cont’d.)

• Solve for each branch current

– Positive result indicates assumed direction is correct
– Negative result indicates direction is opposite

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 Node Analysis with Voltage Sources

• When voltage sources are present:

– Choose reference node so at least one of the voltage sources
is attached to it
• A circuit with n nodes and m voltage sources has:
– (n-1) - m independent voltage variables
– m dependent voltage variables
• For each voltage source, one of the two adjacent node voltage
variables treated as a dependent variable

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 Node Analysis with Voltage Sources (cont’d.)

• Apply KCL at each node

– For each voltage source, there will be one additional dependent
equation
• When a voltage source is adjacent to the reference node, the additional
equation becomes simple
• Collect coefficients and solve the linear system of
equations
• If a voltage source is not adjacent to a reference node:
– Follow Example 3.6 in the text

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 3.3 The Mesh Current Method

• Assign a mesh current variable to each mesh in a circuit

• Apply KVL to generate a system of equations that relates
these variables
• Helpful to assume all mesh currents flow clockwise

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 The Mesh Current Method (cont’d.)

• When a branch is shared by two meshes:

– Branch current is equal to the difference of the two mesh
currents
• Helpful to apply KVL in same direction as mesh current

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 The Mesh Current Method (cont’d.)

• Process
– Select a circulation convention and define mesh current
variables
• All variables independent if circuit contains no current sources
• If m current sources exist, there will be m dependent variables
– Apply KVL at each mesh using Ohm’s law to express resistor
voltage drop in terms of currents
• One additional equation for each current source

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 The Mesh Current Method (cont’d.)

• Process (cont’d.)
– Collect coefficients for each of the n variables, and solve the
linear system of equations
– Use the known mesh currents to solve for branch currents

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 Example 3.7 Solving for Mesh Currents

• Given: va = 10V, vb = 9V, vc = 1V:

R1 = 5Ω = R3 = R4; R2 = 10Ω
• Select a clockwise circulation convention
• Define mesh current variables i1 and i2

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 Solving for Mesh Currents (cont’d.)

• Apply KVL to each mesh

– Use Ohm’s Law to express each resistor drop in terms of mesh
currents

• Collect coefficients and enter parameter values

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 Mesh Analysis with Current Sources

• One additional dependent equation for each current

source
i2 = -is

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 3.4 Node and Mesh Analysis with Dependent Sources

• When a dependent source is present:

– Treat it in the same manner as an independent source
– Dependence expressed by a constraint equation
• Often can be directly substituted into the node or mesh equations to
eliminate the unknown source variable

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 Example 3.12 Analysis with Dependent Sources

• Problem: find unknown voltage v2

• is = 0.5A, R1 = 5Ω; R2 = 2Ω, R3 = 4Ω
• Dependent source constraint equation
v1 = 2 × v3

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 Analysis with Dependent Sources (cont’d.)

• Select bottom node as reference node

• Three non-reference nodes and one voltage source
– Two independent and one dependent variable
• Apply KCL at each node associated with an independent
variable

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 Analysis with Dependent Sources (cont’d.)

• Use the constraint equation to substitute for v1 in the node

1 equation

• Enter numerical values to obtain:

v3 = 3.33V, v2 = 5, v1 = 6.66V
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 3.5 The Principle of Superposition

• Each independent source contributes to each voltage and

current in the circuit
• Contributions of one source are independent of other
sources
• Each voltage and current in a circuit with N independent
sources is the sum of N component voltages and N
component currents, respectively

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 The Principle of Superposition (cont’d.)

• Principle allows problem to be divided into simpler

problems
• Turn off all independent sources except one
– Replace each zero source with a short- or open-circuit
• Solve for voltages and currents due to the remaining
independent source
• Repeat process for each source

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 Example 3.14 Principle of Superposition

• Problem: determine current i2 using the principle of

superposition
• Given: vs = 10V, is = 2A, R1 = 5Ω, R2 = 2Ω, R3 = 4Ω

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 Principle of Superposition (cont’d.)

• Turn off current source and replace it with an open circuit

– Solve for total series resistance and use Ohm’s law to find i′2 =
0.909A

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 Principle of Superposition (cont’d.)

• Turn off the voltage source and replace it with a short

circuit
– Resulting circuit consists of three parallel branches
– Use current division to find i′′2 = -0.909A

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 Principle of Superposition (cont’d.)

• Sum the two components to find:

i2 = i′2 + i′′2 = 0A

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 3.6 Equivalent Networks

• Impact of the source on the load

– Completely determined by the i-v characteristic of the source
• Sources are electrically equivalent if they have the same
i-v characteristic
• One-port network

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 Equivalent Networks (cont’d.)

• Equivalent networks
– Voltage across and current through their terminals is the same
for any load
• Linear network comprised of only linear elements
– Linear elements include ideal sources, resistors, capacitors,
and inductors

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 Thévenin and Norton Theorems

• Any one port linear network can be represented by either

a Thévenin source or a Norton source

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 Computation of RT or RN in Networks Without Dependent
Sources
• Identify the two terminals of the source network
• Remove the load and set all independent sources in the
source network to zero
• Apply series and parallel equivalent resistance
substitutions to find effective equivalent resistance seen
by the load
– Sometimes may need to attach independent voltage source to
the terminals

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 Computation of RT or RN in Networks With Dependent
Sources
• Set independent sources to zero
• Attach an independent voltage source vs across the
source network terminals
• Compute the current is through the voltage source
• Compute RT = vs / is
• Each dependent source and its associated dependent
variable must be collocated in either the source network
or the load

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 Computing the Thévenin Voltage

• Identify the source network and label its terminals

• Define the open circuit voltage voc across those terminals
• For source networks with at least one independent
source:
– Apply any preferred method to solve for voc
• For networks without an independent source: voc = 0

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 Computing the Norton Current

• Identify the source network and label its terminals

• Define the short circuit current isc across those terminals
• For source networks with at least one independent
source:
– Apply any preferred method to solve for isc
• For networks without an independent source: isc = 0

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 Source Transformations

• A Thévenin source
can be transformed
into a Norton source,
and vice versa

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 Experimental Determination of Thévenin/
Norton Equivalents
• Thévenin and Norton equivalent networks often used as
linear models of practical devices over a limited range of
operation
• Alternative to using a model
– Measure equivalent internal resistance of a device
• Often useful to know for determining device operating limits and power
requirements

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 Measuring the Equivalent Resistance

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 3.7 Maximum Power Transfer

• Determine value of RT to
allow for maximum power
transfer
– Solution is R0=RT
• Equivalent source and
load resistances must be
matched

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 3.8 Non-linear Circuit Elements

• Non-linear elements include diodes and transistors

• Methods for analysis of non-linear circuits
– Treat circuit as a load and compute Thévenin equivalent of the
source network
• Generate solution numerically
– Graphical analysis

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 Graphical (Load-Line) Analysis of
Non-linear Circuits
• Apply KVL to write the load line equation

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 Graphical (Load-Line) Analysis (cont’d.)

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