Lecture 7: Nodal Analysis

1. Kirchhoff’s current law

Kirchhoff’s current law, often abbreviated KCL, can be stated as follows:

The sum of the currents into a node (total current in) is equal to the sum of the currents out of that node
(total current out).

A node is any point or junction in a circuit where two or more components are connected. In a
parallel circuit, a node or junction is a point where the parallel branches come together. For
example, in the circuit of Figure 1, point A is one node and point B is another. Let’s start at the
positive terminal of the source and follow the current. The total current IT, from the source is into
node A. At this point, the current splits up among the three branches as indicated. Each of the
three branch currents (I1, I2 and I3) is out of node A. Kirchhoff’s current law says that the total
current into node A is equal to the total current out of node A; that is,

𝐼𝑇 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼2 + 𝐼3 (1)

Fig.1: Kirchhoff’s current law: The current into a node equals the current out of that node..

2. Node Voltage Method (Nodal Analysis)

A method of analysis of multiple-loop circuits is called the node voltage method. It is based on
finding the voltages at each node in the circuit using Kirchhoff’s current law.

The general steps for the node voltage method of circuit analysis are as follows:

Step 1: Identify the number of nodes in the given circuit.

Step 2: Select one node as a reference. All voltages will be relative to the reference node. Assign
voltage designations to each node where the voltage is unknown.
Step 3: Assign currents at each node where the voltage is unknown, except at the reference node.
The directions are arbitrary.

Step 4: Apply Kirchhoff’s current law to each node where currents are assigned.

Step 5: Express the current equations in terms of voltages, and solve the equations for the
unknown node voltages using Ohm’s law.

Example:

Find the node voltage VA in the circuit shown below and determine the branch currents.

The reference node is chosen at B. The unknown node voltage VA is as indicated in the figure.
This is the only unknown voltage. Branch currents are assigned at node A as shown. The current
equation is:

𝐼2 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼3 𝑜𝑟 𝐼1 − 𝐼2 + 𝐼3 = 0

Substitution for currents using Ohm’s law gives the equation in terms of voltages.

10 − 𝑉𝐴 𝑉𝐴 5 − 𝑉𝐴
− + =0
470 220 820

𝑉𝐴 𝑉𝐴 𝑉𝐴 10 5
− − − =− −
470 220 820 470 820
1804𝑉𝐴 + 3854𝑉𝐴 + 1034𝑉𝐴 820 + 235
=
847880 38540

𝑉𝐴 = 3.47 𝑉

Now, you can determine the branch currents.

 10 − 3.47
𝐼1 = = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟗 𝒎𝑨
470

3.47
𝐼2 = = 𝟏𝟓. 𝟖 𝒎𝑨
220

5 − 3.47
𝐼3 = = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟕 𝒎𝑨
820

Exercises: apply node voltage method to find all the branch currents of the following circuits: