DC NETWORK THEOREMS

SUPERPOSITION THEOREM

NETWORK THEOREMS
Useful for simplifying complicated circuits
DC circuits deals with only resistance whereas

these theorems are useful for AC circuits too.

Network theorems to be introduced are :
1. Superposition Theorem
2. Thevenins Theorem
3. Nortons Theorem
4. Maximum Power Transfer Theorem
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
When a number of voltage and current
sources are acting in a linear network
simultaneously, the resultant current in any

branch of the circuit is the algebraic sum of

the currents produced by activating one
source at a time while deactivating the other
sources.
The voltage source is replaced by its internal
resistance (SHORT CIRCUIT) while the
current source is replaced by OPEN
CIRCUIT.
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

APPLICATION
R1

I1

I2

R2

I3

E1

+
_

R3
1

+
_

E2

Apply the superposition theorem to find the

current in the resistor R3
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

1.FIND I3 USING E1 SOURCE

I1

R1

I2

R2

I3
E1

+
_

R3

E2

STEP 1 : Deactivate source E2, i.e. replace it by

its internal resistance (SHORT
CIRCUIT)
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

FIND I3 WITH E1 AS THE SOURCE

STEP 2 : Calculate I1 by using Ohms Law
I1 = E1
( RT = R1 + R2//R3 )
RT
STEP 3 : Calculate I3 by using Current Divider Rule
I3 = I1 x R2 .
R2 + R3

HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

2.FIND I3 USING E2 SOURCE

I1

R2

R1

I2

I3
E1

R3

+
_

STEP 1 : Deactivate source E1 (SHORT

CIRCUIT)
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

E2

FIND I3 WITH E2 AS THE SOURCE

STEP 2 : Calculate I2 using Ohms Law
I2 = E2 ( RT = R2 + R3//R1 )
RT

STEP 3 : Calculate I3 using Current Divider

I3 = I2 x
R1 .
R1 + R3

HANIZAH ANAITULLAH

RESULTANT CURRENT
Therefore the net current thru R3 is given by :

I total = I3 + I3
Note : To apply the superposition theorem, the
direction of currents calculated for each
source must be taken care of.
HANIZAH ANAITULLAH