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HOW TO
ANALYZE
CIRCUITS
Posted by Louvil
Abasolo | DIY
Electronics | 2

FOLL
OW
US
Before we dive into the
discussion on circuit
analysis, let us first SUBS
CRIB
define a circuit or an E
electronic circuit.
 Get
new
An electronic circuit is
tutori
a system composed of
als
electronic components
sent
such as resistors,
to
transistors, capacitors,
your
inductors, diodes, and a
lot more, connected by inbox!
wires through which
EMAIL ADDRES
electric current can
flow. Building circuits is
about taking SUBSCRIBE
advantage of electricity
to build useful devices
for our everyday life.

Now, what is circuit

analysis? It is the
mathematical analysis
of an electrical or
electronic circuit. It is
the process of studying
and analyzing electrical
quantities through
calculations. By this
analysis, we can find
the unknown elements
of a circuit, such as
voltage, current,
resistance, impedance,
power, among others,
across its component.
When doing circuit
analysis, we need to
understand the
electrical quantities,
relationships,
theorems, and some
essential laws.
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There are two essential

laws we need to learn
for circuit analysis.
These are basic
network laws namely:
(1) KCL or Kirchhoff’s
Current Law, and (2)
KVL or Kirchhoff’s
Voltage Law.

WHAT IS KCL?
Kirchhoff’s Current Law
(KCL) is also known as
Kirchhoff’s first law,
Kirchhoff’s point rule,
or Kirchhoff’s junction
rule (or nodal rule). It is
one of the
fundamental laws used
for circuit analysis. It
states that the total
current entering a
junction or node is
equal to the current
leaving the node, as no
current is lost within
the node. In other
words, KCL states
that the algebraic sum
of all currents entering
and exiting a node
must be equal to zero.
Gustav Kirchhoff based
his idea on the law of
Conservation of
Charge.

Mathematically, it can
be expressed as:

Since the KCL is also

called as the nodal rule,
we can then link it to
nodal voltage analysis.
We can perform nodal
analysis using KCL.
Nodal analysis or node-
voltage analysis
method determines
the voltage (potential
difference) between
‘nodes’ in an electrical
circuit in terms of the
branch currents. The
node voltage method
of analysis solves for
unknown voltages at
circuit nodes in terms
of a system of KCL
equations.

HOW TO USE
NODAL
VOLTAGE
ANALYSIS
To illustrate, let us look
at the circuit below.
First, let us recall
Kirchhoff’s Current Law
which can be
expressed as:

From the figure, we see

that there are two
nodes, V1 and V2. Let
us recall that a node is
where two or more
branches are
connected. These
nodes are the
unknown node
voltages we need to
find. Below the circuit
is a reference node
where there is zero
voltage. For each node,
there should be an
equation. Since we
have two nodes, we will
need two equations.

To apply KCL to V1 and

V2, we need to know

the directions of each

current. But first, we
have to look at the
sources.

For the 20V power

source, note that the
current is leaving the
positive terminal and
goes to V1. For the

current source, we
already know its
current direction based
on the symbol on the
 circuit; the current
goes to V2.

Remember that
current flows from high
potential to low
potential, and the
reference node has 0V.
Therefore, we can say
that it is the low
potential, which means
current flows from V1
and V2 to the reference
node.

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Now, for the current

flow in the branch with
the 4-ohm resistor, we
can just assume that
current flows from V1 to
V2.

To get the current

equations for each
element, we need to
apply Ohm’s Law,
which states that the
current is equal to the
difference between the
high and low potential,
divided by resistance.
This is expressed as:

To make it easier, we
need to assign
polarities to the
resistors according to
the current direction.
We also need to assign
currents flowing to
each branch:

i1 = 2-ohm resistor

branch
i2 = 4-ohm resistor

branch
i3 = 10-ohm resistor

branch
i4 = 20-ohm resistor

branch

Now, we will apply KCL

to each node. Express
each current through
V1 and V2 using Ohm’s

Law.
We can then write the
nodal equations. And
since we have two
nodes, we need to
write two equations. To
make it easier, let us
assume that currents
entering a node is
positive while current
leaving a node is
negative.

@node 1 or V1: i1 – i3 –

i2 = 0

@node 2 or V2: i2 – i4 +

4=0

Expressing these two

equations in terms of
V1 and V2, we have:

@node 1,

@node 2,

Now that we have the

two equations for the
two unknowns, we can
start solving.

For the first equation,

simplify:

For the second

equation, simplify:

Apply cancellation for

the two equations.

Substitute the value to

any of the two
equations to get V2.

For checking:

Now that we have the

value of V1 and V2, we

can find the current

flowing to each branch.
WHAT IS KVL?
The second
fundamental law in
circuit analysis is the
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law
or KVL. This is also
called Kirchhoff’s
second law or
Kirchhoff’s loop (or
mesh) rule. KVL states
that the directed sum
of the potential
differences (voltages)
around any closed loop
is zero. Simply put, it
says that the algebraic
sum of all voltages in a
loop must be equal to
zero.

Mathematically, it can
be expressed as:

Since the KVL is also

called the mesh rule,
we can link it to mesh
current analysis. We
can perform mesh
analysis using KVL.

Mesh analysis or mesh

current analysis is used
to solve a circuit with
less unknown variables
and less simultaneous
equations. It is
especially useful if you
have to solve it without
a calculator. It is a well-
organized method for
solving a circuit, but to
analyze a network with
mesh analysis, we need
to fulfill certain
conditions. The mesh
analysis is only
applicable to planner
circuits or networks,
which are simpler and
no crossover wires
present.

HOW TO USE
MESH
CURRENT
ANALYSIS
A mesh is the single
closed loop indicated
in a circuit. To illustrate
mesh current analysis,
let us consider the
circuit below.

Recalling KVL, we
express it in the
following equation:

From the figure, we

can see that have two
meshes assigned as
mesh 1 and mesh 2.

Before applying KVL to

each mesh, let us recall
the Voltage Polarity
Convention. Voltage
encountered from
positive (+) to negative
(-) is positive, while
voltage encountered
from negative (-) to
positive (+) is negative.

Now let us assign mesh

currents in each mesh.
For mesh 1, we have i1

and for mesh 2, we

have i2.

Then, we look at the

current direction in
each branch.

Next, apply KVL to each

of the meshes. And
since in KVL, the sum
of the voltages in a
closed loop is zero, we
need to find the
voltage across each
element. We will be
using Ohm’s Law: V=IR.

So if we have a 1-ohm
resistor, per Ohm’s Law,
the voltage is 2i1. For

the branch with a 6-

ohm resistor, the
voltage is between
mesh 1 and mesh 2. We
must assign current i3

for the branch.

Looking at the node,

we have:
By applying KCL, we
can have i3 in terms of

i1 and i2 by:

We can then write the

mesh equations.

@mesh 1 or i1:

@mesh 2 or i2:

By expressing i3 using i1

and i2, we have:

Now that we have the

two equations for the
two meshes, we can
start solving.
 Substituting i2 to

equation 1, we have:

For checking,
substitute the values
we came up with to
any of the two mesh
equations.

Now that we have the

value of i1 and i2, we
can find the voltage
drops in each resistor.

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Using Ohm’s Law, we
can simply find the
voltage drops by
substitution. For
example:

Remember that you

can always use a lesser
number or decimal
places depending on
what is being asked. In
our examples, we used
the exact values with 8-
10 decimal places.

The circuits that we

had as examples are
just simple circuits. If
you ever encounter a
more complex circuit,
just remember how to
combine resistors in
parallel and in series.
With that, you can have
an easier equivalent
circuit. The analysis will
then be less difficult. To
recall, the first figure is
the illustration for a
series connection and
the second one is for
parallel connection.

Hope this article has

 helped you to
understand how to
analyze circuits. Leave a
comment below if you
have any questions!

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2 COMMENTS

Colin
Dyckes on
June 20, 2020

at 8:41 am

Good
article, but
the current
flow
stated/impl
ied in the
first
diagram is
simply
wrong
because
the 4A
constant
current
source on
the right
hand side
overpowers
the 20V
source at
the left
hand side.
Your
equations
do give the
correct
answer
though.

R
E
P
L
Y

R
Nieuwla
nd on June
21, 2020 at 11:21

pm

Actually –
use /
meanig –
right hand
symbol in
first
diagram is
not
explained.

And – for
me even
 worse – I
don’t know
the symbol.

R
E
P
L
Y

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