Thevenin Theorem

The Thevenin equivalent form of any two-terminal resistive circuit consists of an equivalent
voltage source 𝑉𝑇𝐻 and an equivalent resistance𝑅𝑇𝐻 . The values of the equivalent voltage and
resistance depend on the values in the original circuit. Any two-terminal resistive circuit can be
simplified to a Thevenin equivalent regardless of its complexity.

The Thevenin equivalent voltage is the open circuit (no-load) voltage between two specified output
terminals in a circuit. The Thevenin equivalent resistance is the total resistance appearing between
two specified output terminals in a circuit with all sources replaced by their internal resistances
(which for an ideal voltage source is zero).

The current flowing through a load resistance RL connected across any two terminals A and
B of a linear, active bilateral network is given by Voc || (Ri + RL) where Voc is the open-circuit
voltage (i.e. voltage across the two terminals when RL is removed) and Ri is the internal
resistance of the network as viewed back into the open-circuited network from terminals A and
B with all voltage sources replaced by their internal resistance (if any) and current sources by
infinite resistance.

Thevenin theorem provides a mathematical technique for replacing a given network, as viewed
from two output terminals, by a single voltage source with a series resistance. It makes the solving
process of complicated networks to be easy and achieve quickly. The application of this extremely
useful theorem will be explained with the help of the following simple example.
Although a Thevenin equivalent circuit is not of the same form as the original circuit, but, it acts
the same in terms of the output voltage and current.
 How to Thevenize a Given Circuit
1. Temporarily remove the resistance (called load resistance RL) whose current is
required.
2. Find the open-circuit voltage Voc which appears across the two terminals from
where resistance has been removed. It is also called Thevenin voltage Vth.
3. Compute the resistance of the whose network as looked into from these two
terminals after all voltage sources have been removed leaving behind their internal
resistances (if any) and current sources have been replaced by open-circuit i.e.
infinite resistance. It is also called Thevenin resistance Rth or Ti.
4. Replace the entire network by a single Thevenin source, whose voltage is Vth or
Voc and whose internal resistance is Rth or Ri.
5. Connect RL back to its terminals from where it was previously removed.
6. Finally, calculate the current flowing through RL by using the equation,
I = Vth/(Rth + RL) or I = Voc/(Ri + RL)
In the figure (a) above, the voltage across the designated terminals A and B is the Thevenin
equivalent voltage. In this particular circuit, the voltage from A to B is the same as the voltage
across R2 because there is no current through R3 and, therefore, no voltage drop across it. Vth is
expressed as follows for this particular example
𝑅2
𝑉𝑇𝐻 = ( )𝑉
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 𝑠

In Figure (b) above, the resistance between terminals A and B with the source replaced by a short
to represent its zero internal resistance is the Thevenin equivalent resistance. In this particular
circuit, the resistance from A to B is in series with the parallel combination of and Therefore, is
expressed as follows:
𝑅1 𝑅2
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = 𝑅3 +
𝑅1 + 𝑅2