Lecture 7

Useful Circuit Analysis

Technique

1
 Superposition

To determine currents and voltages in a linear circuit that

has multiple sources by taking one source at a time and
algebraically summing the results

2
 Superposition
• This analysis is done by:
- shorting each voltage source in turn

- opening each current source in turn

3
 Steps In Superposition
• Steps in Superposition
1. Select one of the independent sources. Set all
other independent sources to zero
2. Relabel voltages and currents using suitable
notation
3. Analyze the simplified circuit to find the desired
currents and/or voltages
4. Repeat step 1 through 3 until each independent
sources has been considered
5. Add the partial currents and/or voltages obtained
from the separate analyses
 Example
Question: Given circuit, use superposition to find Itotal?

Solution:
I1 = 1A
I2 = 2A
Itotal = I1+I2
= 3A
 Example
Question: Given circuit, use superposition to find Itotal?

Solution:
I1 = 1A
I2 = 0A
Itotal = I1+I2
= 1A
 Example

Question: Given circuit, use superposition to find Vx?

 Example
Solution:

(3 || 4) (12 / 7)
Vx( 42V ) = × 42 = × 42
6 + (3 || 4) 6 + (12 / 7)
= 9.333V
 Example

(6 || 3) 2
Vx(10V ) = − ×10 = − ×10
(6 || 3) + 4 2+4
= −3.333V
 Example

Vx = Vx( 42V ) + Vx(10V )

= 9.333 − 3.333 = 6V
 Source Transformation
• The method is based on the concept of
equivalence.
- Used to transform voltage and current sources in
order to simplify the analysis of a circuit
 Example

Question: Given circuit, use source transformation to

find voltage measured by voltmeter?
 Example

Solution:
Simplify the circuit using source transformation

(a)
 Example

(b) (c)

(d) (e)

(f) (g)
 Example

(h) (i)

(j) (k)

(l) (m)
 Example

(n) (o)

(p) (q)
From the reduced circuit (q), apply KCL
i+ 2
i=
Whereas,
voltage measured by meter Vm
Vm=3( 2V