Experiment #3

Thevenin and Norton Equivalent Circuits

& Max Power Transfer Theorem
Introduction to the Oscilloscope

Introduction

Thevenin and Norton equivalent circuits are important concepts in circuit analysis. The
Thevenin equivalent circuit consists of a voltage source in series with a resistor, while the
Norton equivalent circuit contains a current source in parallel with a resistor. The Norton
equivalent circuit can be obtained from the Thevenin equivalent circuit using a source
transformation.

Background

Thevenin’s theorem states:

Any resistive circuit or network, no matter how complex, can be represented as a

voltage source in series with a source resistance

The voltage source in the theorem is referred to as the Thevenin voltage (VTH) while the
source resistance is called the Thevenin resistance (RTH). The circuit consisting of the
Thevenin voltage and Thevenin resistance is called the Thevenin equivalent circuit and is
depicted in figure 1.

R
TH
+
VTH
-

Figure 1: Thevenin Equivalent Circuit

1
Even though Thevenin’s Theorem is stated in terms of resistive circuits, the theorem
holds for any network made up of linear elements (e.g. capacitors and inductors). The
Norton equivalent circuit can be derived from the Thevenin equivalent circuit by using a
source transformation. The Norton equivalent circuit is shown in figure 2.

VTH
I = RN = RTH
N R TH

Figure 2: Norton Equivalent Circuit

The Norton equivalent circuit consists of a current source (IN) with a value of VTH / RTH in
parallel with a resistor (RN) of value RTH, the Thevenin resistance.

The maximum power transfer theorem states:

When a load resistor (RL) is connected to a resistive circuit that has a Thevenin
resistance of RTH, the maximum power transfer between the resistive circuit and
the load will occur when RL = RTH

Figure 3 shows a Thevenin equivalent circuit connected to a load resistor RL.

R
TH
+ +
VTH V OUT RL = R TH
- -

Figure 3: Thevenin equivalent circuit connected to a load resistor RL

Note under maximum power transfer conditions, RL = RTH and the voltage across the load
VOUT is equal to half of the Thevenin voltage, VTH.

Objective

In this experiment we will obtain the Thevenin equivalent circuit of a circuit by

measuring its open circuit (no-load) voltage and short circuit current and comparing our

2
results with calculated values. The load resistor that produces the maximum power
transfer from the circuit to the load is also measured and compared with its calculated
value.

The Experiment

Thevenin Equivalent Circuit

Build the circuit in figure 4 on a breadboard. Use a bench power supply to provide the 12
volts. Confirm the values of the resistors by checking the color codes on the resistors.
Record the actual values of the resistors in your notebook by measuring the resistance of
each resistor using an ohmmeter.

2.2k 2.0k a
+
+
1.0k
12 volts I
VOUT SC
-

-
b

Figure 4: Circuit for Thevenin equivalent experiment

Measure the open circuit (no-load) voltage using a voltmeter. The open circuit voltage is
also the Thevenin voltage. With an ammeter, measure the short-circuit current (ISC). The
short circuit current is also the Norton current (IN). From these measurements, calculate
the Thevenin resistance. Record all your data in your notebook.

A second method to obtain the Thevenin resistance is to turn off all the sources in the
circuit and measure the resistance between terminals a and b using an ohmmeter. To turn
off a voltage source, replace it with a short. Use this method to measure the Thevenin
resistance. Record all your data in your notebook.

Compare the measured values of the Thevenin resistance with its theoretical value. Use
the actual value of the resistors obtained from the ohmmeter measurements in the
calculation of the theoretical value of the Thevenin resistance. Show all your work in
your notebook.

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STOP: Critical Thinking Moment!
Does the data make sense?

Maximum Power Transfer Theorem

The teaching assistant (TA) will give you a selection of resistors to use as load resistors
for the circuit in figure 4. Connect the load resistors as shown in figure 5.

2.2k 2.0k a
+
+
1.0k RL Load
12 volts
VOUT Resistor
-

-
b

Figure 5: Circuit for maximum power transfer experiment

In your notebook, record VOUT for the different values of load resistors. Using Excel, plot
the power delivered to the load resistance as a function of the load resistance. From this
plot, estimate the load resistance that corresponds to the maximum power transfer to the
load. Compare your value to RTH.

(Vout ) 2
Note: Power delivered to the load resistor =
RL

Questions to Answer
1. What is the engineering practice that this lab demonstrates?
2. What is the significance of Thevenin and Norton equivalent circuits?
3. As an engineer, how would you use these concepts to design electrical devices?
4. How would you what you learned from the lab and apply to the design of:
a. A set of headphones for your personal stereo system
b. A new mouse for your computer
5. What is the significance of your data and what you learned when considering the
maximum power transfer theorem?
6. How does this help you evaluate your designs in question 4?
7. What question do you want to explore next in electrical circuits having performed
this experiment?

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Appendix A
Resistor Color Code
The resistance value of a resistor is usually encoded by a series of colored bands on the
cylindrical casing of a resistor. The first two bands represent the first and second digits
of the resistance value. The third band is called the multiplier band and represents the
power of 10 by which to multiply the first two digits. For example: If the first three
bands were brown, red, and orange then the value of resistance would be 12 x 103 = 12
kΩ. The values of the first 3 bands are given in Table 1A.

Color Band 1 Band 2 Band 3

Black 0 0
Brown 1 1 1
Red 2 2 2
Orange 3 3 3
Yellow 4 4 4
Green 5 5 5
Blue 6 6 6
Violet 7 7 7
Gray 8 8 8
White 9 9 9
Gold -1
Silver -2

Table 1A:Resistor Color Code

The fourth band on the resistor represents the tolerance of the resistance value. A gold
band means that the resistance has a 5% tolerance whereas a silver band indicates a 10%
tolerance. So if the fourth band on the resistor from the example above was gold then the
actual resistance of the component is 12 kΩ ± 5% or in the range from 11.4kΩ to 12.6kΩ .

Please deliver your lab report to the EE office in Halligan Hall and ask the
secretary to have the lab time stamped. The lab reports are due a week
after the lab is completed.