NETWORK THEOREMS

A network is a combination of components, such as resistances and voltage

sources, interconnected to achieve a particular end result.

Although, Kirchhoff’s laws can always be applied for any circuit connections, the
network theorems provide shorter methods for solving a circuit.

THEVENIN’S THEOREM

The theorem is named after a French engineer, M.L. Thevenin. Thevenin’s theorem
is very useful in simplifying the process of solving for the unknown values of
voltage and current in a network. By Thevenin’s theorem, networks, no matter
how interconnected can be represented by an equivalent series circuit.

Consider the figure below.

Fig. 2.1

In the figure above, imagine that the block at the left contains a network connected
to terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵. Thevenin’s theorem states that the entire network connected
to 𝐴 and 𝐵 can be replaced by a single voltage source 𝑉𝑇𝐻 in series with a single
resistance 𝑅𝑇𝐻 , connected to the same two terminals.

Voltage 𝑉𝑇𝐻 is the open-circuit voltage across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵. This means
finding the voltage that the network produces across the two terminals with an
open circuit between 𝐴 and 𝐵.

The polarity of 𝑉𝑇𝐻 is such that it will produce current from 𝐴 and 𝐵 in the same
direction as in the original network.

Resistance 𝑅𝑇𝐻 is the open circuit resistance across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵, but with all
sources “killed”. This means finding the resistance looking back into the network
from terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵. Although the terminals are open, an Ohmeter across AB
would read the value of 𝑅𝑇𝐻 as the resistance of the remaining paths in the
network without any sources operating.

Thevenizing a circuit

Page 1 of 9
Example 8: Consider the diagram below:

Fig 2.2

Obtain the voltage 𝑉𝐿 across the 2Ω resistor 𝑅𝐿 and its current 𝐼𝐿 by thevenizing
the circuit.

Solution:

To use the Thevenin’s theorem, the following steps are followed:

Step 1: Mentally disconnect 𝑅𝐿 . The two open end then become terminals 𝐴 and
𝐵 as shown below.

Fig. 2.3

Step 2: Thevenize the remainder circuit in Fig. 2.3 by finding open-circuit voltage
𝑉𝑇𝐻 across 𝐴𝐵 and the equivalent resistance 𝑅𝑇𝐻 . Note that 𝑅1 and 𝑅2 form a series
voltage divider without 𝑅𝐿 , so that:
6
𝑉𝑇𝐻 = 𝑉𝐴𝐵 = 𝑉𝑅2 = × 36𝑣 = 24𝑣
9
Step 3: Short-circuit source 𝑉, with 𝑅𝐿 still disconnected, so that 𝑅1 and 𝑅2 are
now in parallel as shown below. Then find 𝑅𝑇𝐻 , the combined resistance 𝑅1 and 𝑅2 .

Page 2 of 9
 3 × 6 18
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = = = 2Ω
3+6 9

Step 4: We assume a thevenized circuit to the left of the terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵 which
consists of the equivalent voltage 𝑉𝑇𝐻 in series equivalent resistance 𝑅𝑇𝐻 as
shown below.

Step 5: Reconnect 𝑅𝐿 to terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵 as shown below, then find 𝑉𝐿 using

voltage divider formular.

2
𝑉𝐿 = × 24𝑣 = 12𝑣
4
Step 6: Find 𝐼𝐿 using 𝑉𝐿 ⁄𝑅𝐿 (Ohm’s law)
𝑉𝐿 12
𝐼𝐿 = = = 6𝐴
𝑅𝐿 2
Note: The same answers could be obtained by solving the series-parallel circuit in
Example 8 using Ohm’s law.

Exercise: Use the Thevenin’s theorem to obtain the voltage 𝑉𝐿 and current 𝐼𝐿
across the resistor 𝑅𝐿 in the diagram below.

Page 3 of 9
THEVENIZING A CIRCUIT WITH TWO VOLTAGE SOURCES

Example 9: Use Thevenin’s theorem to find the current 𝐼3 through the middle
resistor 𝑅3 .

Solution:

Step 1: Mark the terminals of 𝑅3 as 𝐴 and 𝐵

Step 2: Disconnect 𝑅3

Page 4 of 9
Step 3: Apply superposition theorem to calculate 𝑉𝐴𝐵 by:
(1) Short circuit 𝑉2 , then the 84𝑣 of 𝑉1 is divided between 𝑅1 and 𝑅2 . The voltage
across 𝑅2 is between terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵.
𝑅2
∴ 𝑉𝑅2 = × 𝑉1
𝑅1 + 𝑅2
3
𝑉𝑅2 = × (−84)
15
𝑉𝑅2 = −16.8𝑣
Note: This is the only contribution of 𝑉1 to 𝑉𝐴𝐵 . The polarity is negative at
terminal 𝐴.

(2) Short circuit 𝑉1 . Then the 21𝑣 of 𝑉2 is divided between 𝑅2 and 𝑅1 . The
voltage across 𝑅1 is between terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵.
𝑅1
𝑉𝑅1 = × 𝑉2
𝑅1 + 𝑅2
12
𝑉𝑅1 = × (−21)
15
𝑉𝑅1 = −16.8𝑣
Note: Both 𝑉1 and 𝑉2 produce −16.8𝑣 across the 𝐴𝐵 terminals with the
same polarity, therefore, they are added.
𝑉𝐴𝐵 = 𝑉𝑅1 + 𝑉𝑅2 = −16.8 + (−16.8) = −33.6𝑣
Now, 𝑉𝐴𝐵 = 𝑉𝑇𝐻 = −33.6𝑣
* The negative polarity means that terminal A is negative with respect to B.

Step 4: Calculate 𝑅𝑇𝐻 by short circuiting sources 𝑉1 and 𝑉2 . Note that 𝑅1 and 𝑅2
are now in parallel across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵.

𝑅1 𝑅2 12 × 3
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = = = 2.4Ω
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 12 + 3

Page 5 of 9
Step 5: We now have a thevenized circuit across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵 as shown below

Step 6: Reconnect 𝑅3 across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵, then apply Ohm’s law to calculate
current 𝐼3 .

𝑉𝑇𝐻 𝑉𝑇𝐻
𝐼3 = =
𝑅𝑇𝑂𝑇𝐴𝐿 𝑅𝑇𝐻 + 𝑅3
33.6 33.6
𝐼3 = =
2.4 + 6 8.4
𝐼3 = 4𝐴

We see that this answer of 4𝐴 for 𝐼3 is the same value we obtained before using
Kirchoff’s laws in Example 6.

THEVENIZING A BRIDGE CIRCUIT

In many cases, one may use the Thevenin circuit to solve electronic problems that
might otherwise be tedious at best. Take for example a bridge circuit shown in
figure below, wherein a resistor 𝑅5 is placed such as to bridge two parallel arms of
a resistor network. We may need to know the current through and potential across
the bridging resistor, 𝑅5 .

Page 6 of 9
We start by removing (in theory or mentally) 𝑅5 to determine the Thevenin
equivalent to the resistor network composed of 𝑅1 , 𝑅2 , 𝑅3 and 𝑅4 . The resulting
circuit may be used to determine the potential and current through 𝑅5 by
reconnecting “mentally” the resistor 𝑅5 into the Thevenin equivalent circuit.

To make the example more concrete, consider the following resistances: 𝑅1 =

1𝑘Ω, 𝑅2 = 900Ω, 𝑅3 = 800Ω and 𝑅4 = 1.1𝑘Ω. The value of 𝑅5 does not have to be
specified to derive a formula.

The potential is more easily calculated since the equivalent circuit reduces to two
parallel voltage dividers.

Note that the potential at point 𝐴 using voltage divider rule is:
𝑅3
𝑉𝐴 = 𝑉 ×
𝑅1 + 𝑅3
800
𝑉𝐴 = 25 ×
1000 + 800
𝑉𝐴 = 11.11𝑣
Similarly, the potential at point 𝐵 is:
𝑅4
𝑉𝐵 = 𝑉 ×
𝑅2 + 𝑅4
1100
𝑉𝐵 = 25 ×
900 + 1100
Page 7 of 9
 𝑉𝐵 = 13.75𝑣
Now, the potential difference is the Thevenin’s ideal potential source, 𝑉𝑇𝐻 .
𝑉𝑇𝐻 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 = 13.75 − 11.11 = 2.64𝑣
Now, the Thevenin equivalent resistance 𝑅𝑇𝐻 is found by shorting (“killing”) the
potential 𝑉 (mentally) and determining resistance between points 𝐴 and 𝐵.

Now the 𝑅𝑇𝐻 is:

𝑅1 𝑅3 𝑅2 𝑅4
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = +
𝑅1 + 𝑅3 𝑅2 + 𝑅4
1000 × 800 900 × 1100
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = +
1000 + 800 900 + 1100
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = 444.44 + 495
𝑅𝑇𝐻 = 939.44Ω
Now, the resulting Thevenin equivalent circuit is:

Finally, to calculate the current through the bridging resistor, 𝑅5 , we reconnect it

across terminals 𝐴 and 𝐵 of the Thevenin’s equivalent circuit

Now, the total resistance for the series resistors is

𝑅𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝑅𝑇𝐻 + 𝑅5

∴ Total current through resistor 𝑅5 is

Page 8 of 9
 𝑉𝑇𝐻 𝑉𝑇𝐻
𝐼= =
𝑅𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑇𝐻 + 𝑅5
∴ The potential across resistor 𝑅5 using Ohm’s law is
𝑉𝑇𝐻
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅5 = ( )𝑅
𝑅𝑇𝐻 + 𝑅5 5

Assignment

Obtain the current through and potential across resistor 𝑅𝐿 in the bridge circuit
below. 𝑅1 , 𝑅2 , 𝑅3 , 𝑅4 and 𝑅𝐿 are 6Ω, 4Ω, 3Ω, 6Ω and 2Ω respectively.

Page 9 of 9