Exercise # 1

+ 4V –
B
+ I1 + +
10 V A I2 C V2 0.8 A D V3
2A
– – –

1. Find V2 and V3 using KVL.

2. Compute for I1 and I2 using KCL.
3. Calculate the power of elements A and C. Identify if
the power you computed is being supplied or
consumed.
4. If the circuit was used for 30 minutes, compute for
the electrical energy of element A.
 2

Passive Sign Convention

• Power dissipated by a load is a positive quantity
(conversely: power generated by a source is a positive
quantity)

+ i
+
VS IS VS IS
- v R
DC DC
-
 Nodal Analysis
And Mesh Analysis
EEE 3 Lecture 03
 4

Objectives
• Determine currents and voltages in a circuit using Nodal
Analysis

• Determine currents and voltages in a circuit using Mesh

Analysis
 5

Nodal and Mesh Analyses

• Systematic ways of analyzing circuits.
• Applications of KCL and KVL

• Both methods produces N equations with N

unknowns.

• Unknown quantities are solved simultaneously

in both methods.
 6

General Procedure
Nodal Analysis
1. Label all nodes in the circuit.
2. If the reference is not yet defined, arbitrarily select one reference
node (grounded node).
3. Define a voltage rise variable for each node* with respect to the
reference node.
4. By inspection, determine the values of some voltage rise variables
5. For every node* with unknown voltage rise, write a KCL equation.
The currents should be written in terms of the voltage rise
variables.
6. Solve the system of equations.
7. Find the required quantities using the values of the voltage rise
variables.
Note: node* = nodes other than the reference node.
 7

Exercise – nodes and voltages

1. Label all nodes in the circuit.
2. If the reference is not yet defined, arbitrarily select one
reference node (grounded node).

+ 4V –
B
+ I1 + +
10 V A I2 C V2 0.8 A D V3
2A
– – –
 8

Exercise – nodes and voltages

3. Define a voltage rise variable for each node with respect to
the reference node.
4. By inspection, determine the values of some voltage rise
variables
+ 4V –
B
+ I1 + +
10 V A I2 C V2 0.8 A D V3
2A
– – –
 9

Example
Find the voltages VX and Vy using nodal analysis.

40 Ω

+ VY -
30 Ω 10 Ω

+ VX -
4.8V + 15 Ω 20 Ω 0.2A
-

Ans: VX = 2.4V, VY = 1.6V

 10

Example
Find the voltages Va, Vb and Vc using nodal analysis (a voltage source
between 2 nodes).
Supernode: a voltage
8Ω source in between two
nodes that are not
+Vb
6V grounded.
6Ω - +Vc
+
+Va

3A 3Ω 4Ω 5A

REF

The KCL equations for node a and the supernode

Va − Vb Va − Vc
node a: 3= +
6 8
 11

Vb Vc Vb - Va Vc - Va
supernode: 5= + + +
3 4 6 8
For the voltage source, we get Vb-Vc=6 volts.

The equations can be simplified into

72 = 7Va − 4Vb − 3Vc

6 = Vb − Vc
120 = −7Va + 12Vb + 9Vc
Solving simultaneously, we get

Va = 24 V Vb = 16.3 V Vc = 10.3 V
 12

Example: Find the voltages Va, Vb and Vc using nodal analysis

(dependent voltage source between two nodes).

vx
+ -
8
6 +Vb +Vc
+Va - +

2vx
3A 3 4 5A

REF

The KCL equations for node a and the supernode

Va − Vb Va − Vc
node a: 3= +
6 8
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Vb Vc Vb − Va Vc − Va
supernode: 5= + + +
3 4 6 8
For the dependent voltage source, we get
Vc − Vb = 2v x = 2(Va − Vc )
The equations can be simplified into

72 = 7Va − 4Vb − 3Vc

0 = −2Va − Vb + 3Vc
120 = −7Va + 12Vb + 9Vc
Solving simultaneously, we get

Va = 24 V Vb = 9.6 V Vc = 19.2 V
 14

General Procedure
Mesh Analysis
1. Determine the number of meshes in the circuit.
2. Assign a mesh current (with variable name and assumed
direction) to each mesh in the circuit.
3. By inspection, determine the values of some mesh currents.

4. Write a KVL equation for every mesh with unknown current.

5. Solve the system of equations.

6. Solve the required quantities using the mesh currents.

Mesh = in a planar circuit; a loop that does not contain any inner loops.
 15

Exercise – meshes and currents

1. Determine the number of meshes in the circuit.

2. Assign a mesh current (with variable name and assumed

direction) to each mesh in the circuit.
3. By inspection, determine the values of some mesh
currents.
+ 4V –
B
+ I1 + +
10 V A I2 C V2 0.8 A D V3
2A
– – –
 16

I1 +
16 Vx 40 40
Example: Find the 2V -
voltage VX using I2

_+
+
mesh analysis. I3 20 - 5V
1A

30

The KVL equations for meshes 1 and 2 area

Mesh 1: -2 Volts = 40(I1- I2) + 16I1

Mesh 2: 5 Volts = 40I2 + 40(I2 -I1) + 20(I2- I3)

In mesh 3, the current source dictates the value

of the mesh current. Thus, I3=1 A.
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The two equations can be simplified into

-2 = 56I1 - 40I2

25 = -40I1 + 100I2

Solving simultaneously, we get

I1 = 0.2A I2 = 0.33A

Finally, we get the voltage Vx

Vx = 40(I2 - I1) = 5.2V

 18

Example: Find the 5V

5 + -
currents I1, I2 and I3 using
mesh analysis (current I2
source between two
1 3
meshes).
+
Supermesh: Group of I1 I3
36V 3A 2
at least two meshes
-
with a current source
in between them. 4

We cannot write a KVL equation for mesh 1 or for mesh 3

because of the current source. Form a supermesh and write a
KVL equation for it.

supermesh: 36 =1(I1 -I2 )+ 3(I3 -I2 )+ 2I3 + 4I1

 19

The KVL equation for mesh 2 is unchanged.

( ) ( )
-5 = 5I2 + 3 I2 -I3 +1 I2 -I1

The third equation is dictated by the current source.

I1 − I3 = 3 A

Solving simultaneously, we get

I1 = 5.45 A I2 = 0.86 A I3 = 2.45 A

 20

Example: Find the currents I1, I2 and I3 using mesh analysis

(dependent source I2
included). 1 2
3
15A I1 + vx -
1v
x
9
I3 1
2

The current in mesh 1 is dictated by the current source. Thus,

I1=15 Amps.

The KVL equation for mesh 2 is

0 = 2I2 + 3(I2 -I3 )+1(I2 -I1)

20
 21

We cannot write a KVL equation for mesh 3. Can’t form a

supermesh either. However, we can write an equation for
the dependent source.

1 1
I3 − I1 = v x = [ 3 ( I3 − I2 )]
9 9

Solving simultaneously, we get

I1 = 15 A I2 = 11A I3 = 17 A
 22

Example
Find the voltages VX and Vy using mesh analysis.

40 Ω

+ VY -
30 Ω 10 Ω

+ VX -
4.8V + 15 Ω 20 Ω 0.2A
-

Ans: VX = 2.4V, VY = 1.6V

 23

Nodal or Mesh?
Given a choice, which method should be used?

Nodal analysis
• no. of voltage variables = no. of nodes minus 1.
• Every voltage source connected to the reference node
reduces the number of unknowns by 1.

Mesh analysis
• no. of current variables = no. of meshes
• Every current source at the periphery of the circuit reduces
the number of unknowns by 1.

23
 24
10
Example: Write the nodal and mesh
equations that describe the circuit
shown.
4A
+Va +Vb +Vc
We need 4 +Vd
voltage 4 6 8
variables. 3A 2 5 5A

REF
The nodal equations are

Va Va − Vb
node a: 3= +
2 4
Vb − Va Vb Vb − Vc Vb − Vd
node b: −4 = + + +
4 5 6 10
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Vc − Vb Vc − Vd
node c: 4= +
6 8
Vd − Vb Vd − Vc
node d: −5 = +
10 8
10
There are 5 meshes but the 3A and
5A current sources flow in distinct 4A
meshes. We need to define 3
current variables. I3
I2

4 6 8
3A 3A 2 I1 5 5A 5A
 26

The mesh equations are

mesh 1: 0 = 2(I1 − 3)+ 4I1 + 5(I1 − 5)

supermesh: 0 = 6(I2 − 5)+ 10I3 + 8(I3 − 5)
4A source: 4 = I2 − I3

Note: We need either three current variables or four voltage

variables to describe the circuit. It is preferable to use mesh
analysis.
 27

Summary
• Nodal and mesh analysis are two additional circuit analysis
methods.

• Both methods are used to compute for all unknown

quantities in the circuit simultaneously without the need to
simplify the entire circuit.

• Given the choice to use either nodal or mesh analysis, use

the method that results in less number of unknowns or
equations.