Consider the circuit of Figure 2.12(a), which contains two sources.

Suppose we want
to find the current through the 12Ω resistance in the circuit by superposition theorem.
This can be done as follows:

8 6 8 6

8 12  16V 8 12 
I1

Figure 2.12 (a) Circuit for example (b) Circuit with only 8A source.

Step 1 First consider only the 8A source and deactivate the 16V source as shown
in Figure 2.12 (b) and find I1 , the current in 12Ω due to only 8A source.

6
I1 = 8  = 2.667A
6 + 12
Step 2 Next consider only the 16V source and deactivate the 8A source as shown
in Figure 2.13(a) and find I 2 , the current in 12Ω due to only 16V source.

16
I2 =
= 0.889A
12 + 6
Step 3 Find the algebraic sum of the current I1 and I 2

I = I1 + I 2 = 2.667 + 0.889 = 3.556A

This is the total current passing through the 12Ω resistor when both the sources are
acting simultaneously.

Let us verify the above result by loop analysis.

8 6 8 6

I2 8 12  16V
12  16V I1 I2

(b)
(a)

Figure 2.13 (a) Given Circuit with only 16V source (b) Circuit for loop analysis

In Figure 2.13(b) I1 = 8A

The only loop equation is 6 I 2 + 16 + 12 ( I 2 − 8) = 0 or 18 I 2 = 80

20
 80
 I2 == 4.444A
18
 Current through the 12Ω resistor by loop analysis is

I = I1 − I 2 = 8 − 4.444 = 3.556A
So the superposition theorem is verified.

Let us now examine it for power responses.

Power dissipated in the 12Ω resistance due to current source acting alone.

P1 = I12 12 = 2.6672 12 = 85.35W

Power dissipated in the 12Ω resistance due to voltage source acting alone.

P2 = I 22 12Ω
= 0.8892 12 = 9.484W
Power dissipated in the 12 resistance when both the sources are acting
simultaneously is

P = I 2 12 = 3.5562 12 = 151.74W

From the above results, the superposition of the individual powers P1 and P2 gives

P1 + P2 = 85.35 + 9.484 = 94.834W

which is not equal to P=151.74W

This shows that the superposition theorem is not valid for power responses. It is valid
only for computing current and voltage responses.

Example 2.8 Applying the principle of superposition calculate the current flowing in
the 6Ω resistance in the circuit shown in Figure 2.14. Show that the superposition
principle is valid only for voltage and current responses and is not valid for power
response.
6 V 2

8V
+ 4A
- 4

Figure 2.14 Circuit for Example 2.8

Solution: Step I First consider only the 8V voltage source and remove the 4A
current source (open circuit it) as shown in Figure 2.15(a) and find the current I1 in
the 6Ω resistor.
Since all the three resistors are in series, the current through the 6Ω resistor, I1 is
8
I1 = = 0.6667A
6+2+4

21
 6 2 6 2

I1 I2

8V
+ OC SC 4A
- 4 4

(a) (b)

Figure 2.15 Circuit with (a) Current source open circuited (b) Voltage source short
circuited
Step II Then considering only the 4A current source and neglecting the 8V voltage
source as shown in Figure 2.15(b), find I 2
2+4
I2 = 4  = 2A
2+4+6
Step III Find the algebraic sum of the currents I1 and I 2
Since I1 and I 2 are in opposite directions in the 6Ω resistor, the current through the
6Ω resistor is I 2 − I1 = 2 − 0.6667 = 1.3333A from right to left.
Let us verify the above result by applying nodal analysis.
The current passing through the 6Ω resistor must be 1.3333A .
Applying nodal analysis to Figure 2.14, we have
V −8 V
+ =4
6 2+4
1 1 8
V  +  = 4+
6 6 6
 V = 16V
Therefore, current in the 6Ω resistor due to both sources acting simultaneously is
V − 8 16 − 8
I= = = 1.3333A
6 6
So the superposition theorem is verified. Let us now examine the power responses.
Step IV Verification for power responses
Power dissipated in the 6Ω resistor due to 8V voltage source acting alone.
P1 = I12 R = ( 2 ) 6 = 24W
2

Power dissipated in the 6Ω resistor due to 4A current source acting alone

P2 = I 22 R = ( 0.667 ) 6 = 2.669W
2

Power dissipated in the 6Ω resistor when both the sources are acting
simultaneously is given by
P = I 2 R = (1.333) 6 = 10.661W
2

From the above results, the superposition of P2 and P1 gives

𝑃1 + 𝑃2 = 24 + 2.669 = 26.669W
which is not equal to P = 10.661W

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This result shows that the superposition theorem is not valid for power response. It is
valid only for voltage and current responses.

Example 2.9 Find the voltage across the 5Ω resistor in Figure 2.16 by using the
superposition theorem.
10 A 5 B

8 12
+
15V 15
- + 5A
30V
-
Figure 2.16 Circuit for Example 2.9

Solution: Step I First consider only the 15V source, deactivating the other two
sources as shown in Figure 2.17(a) and find the voltage across the 5Ω resistor V1.
10 5 10 5
A A
+ - - +
8
+ 8
15V 15 15
+
- 30V
-

(a) (b)

10 5
- +
12
15 8

5A

(c)
Figure 2.17 (a) Circuit with only 15V source (b) Circuit with only 30V source
(c) Circuit with only 5A source
Assuming a voltage V at node A as shown in Figure 2.17(a), the KCL equation is
V − 15 V V
+ + =0
10 15 5 + 8
 1 1 1  15
i.e. V + + =
 10 15 13  10
or V = 6.15V
The voltage across the 5Ω resistor due to the 15V source is
V 5
V1 =  5 = 6.15  = 2.365V
5+8 5+8

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Step II Our second step is to find the voltage V2 across the 5Ω resistor due to the
30V source only, while other sources are set equal to zero. The circuit is redrawn as
shown in Figure 2.17(b).
Assuming a voltage V at node A, as shown in Figure 2.17(b), the KVL equation is
V V V − 30
+ + =0
10 15 5 + 8
 1 1 1  30
i.e., V  + +  =
 10 15 13  13
or V = 9.473V
The voltage across the 5Ω resistor due to the 30V source is
 V − 30   9.473 − 30 
V2 =  5 =    5 = −7.895V
 5+8   5+8 
Step III
The next step is to find the voltage V3 across the 5Ω resistor due to the 5A current
source only, while the other sources are set equal to zero. The circuit is redrawn as
shown in Figure 2.17(c).
8
Current in 5Ω resistor = 5 × 8+5+(10 =2.105A
⃦15)
The voltage across the 5Ω resistor is V3 = 2.105  5 = 10.525V
Step IV Find the algebraic sum of the responses V1 ,V2 ,V3 across the 5Ω resistor.
V = V1 + V2 + V3 = 2.365 − 7.895 − 10.525 = −16.055V
The negative sign of the voltage indicates that the voltage at A is at lower potential
w.r.t. B.

Example 2.10 Determine the current through the 6 Ω resistor in the circuit shown in
Figure 2.18 using superposition theorem.
4 6

8A 2
4 12V

Figure 2.18 Circuit for Example 2.10

Solution: Step I First consider only the 12V source and deactivate the 8A current
source, i.e. open circuit it and find the current I1 in the 6 Ω resistor. The circuit then
becomes as shown in Figure 2.19(a) and its equivalent is shown in Figure 2.19(b).
12
I1 = = 1.5A
6+2

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 4 6
6
I1
I1
2 4 2 12V
12V

(b)
(a)

Figure 2.19 Circuit with 8A source deactivated

Step II Next considering only the 8A source and deactivating the 12V source, i.e.
short circuiting it, as shown in Figure 2.20(a), find the current I 2 in the 6 Ω resistor.
2
I2 = 8  = 2A
2+6
4 6 4 6

I2
2 8A 2
8A 4

(a) (b)

Figure 2.20 Circuit with 12V source deactivated

Step III Find the algebraic sum of the responses I1 and I 2
Since I1 and I 2 are in opposite directions, we get the resultant current through the 6 Ω
resistor
I = I 2 − I1 = 2 − 1.5 = 0.5A
from right to left.

Example 2.11 Find the current ix in the circuit shown in Figure 2.21(a) using
superposition theorem.
i x I 1

36Ω 12Ω 36Ω 12Ω

+ 8Ω
+ 8Ω
90V 2A 90V
+
60V
- -
-

(a) (b)

25
 I 2 I 3

12Ω
36Ω
8Ω 12Ω
+ 36Ω 2A 8Ω
60V
-

(c) (d)
Figure 2.21 (a) Circuit for Example 2.
(b), (c), (d) Circuit with only one source activated at a time.

Solution: Step I First consider only the 90V voltage source and deactivate the other
two sources of 2A and 60V as shown in Figure 2.21(b) and calculate the current I1 .
90 12
𝐼1 = { }× = 1.32𝐴
36 + (12 ⃦8) 12 + 8
Step II Next consider only the 60V voltage source and deactivate the other two
sources of 2A and 90V as shown in Figure 2.21(c) and calculate the current I 2 .
60 36
𝐼2 = ( )× = 2.647𝐴
12 + (36 ⃦8) 36 + 8
Step III Next consider only the 2A current source and deactivate the other two
voltage sources of 90V and 60V as shown in Figure 2.21(d) and calculate the current
I3 .
(36 ⃦12)
𝐼3 =2× (36 = 1.058𝐴
⃦12)+8
Step IV Find the algebraic sum of the responses I1 , I 2 and I 3 .
 ix = I1 + I 2 + I 3 = 1.32 + 2.647 + 1.058 = 5.029A
2.8 THEVENIN’S THEOREM
In some cases, only one particular resistance in a circuit is varied and it is required to
determine only the value of current through it or voltage across it for various values
of that element. So there is no need to analyze the complete circuit. Thevenin’s
theorem is extensively used in such cases. The use of this theorem enables us to
replace the original circuit by a simple equivalent circuit.
Thevenin’s theorem states that any linear, active, bilateral two terminal
network containing a number of resistances and voltage sources and/or current
sources can be replaced by a simple equivalent circuit consisting of a single voltage
source VTh in series with a single resistance RTh .The Thevenin equivalent voltage VTh
is the open circuit voltage across the two terminals of the network and the Thevenin
resistance RTh is the resistance measured between the two terminals when all the
energy sources are replaced by their internal resistances.
Figure 2.22(a) shows a linear network that contains resistances, voltage sources
and/or current sources with output terminals AB. Using Thevenin’s theorem, the

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