LESSON 3: GENERAL THEOREMS IN LINEAR

CIRCUITS (I)

1. Introduction
2. Superposition theorem
3. Reprocity theorem
4. Substitution principle

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Electromagnetismo y circuitos eléctricos. Jesús Fraile Mora. Universidad Politécnica
de Madrid. Servicio de Publicaciones.

Introductory circuit analysis. Boylestad. Ed. Pearson

Problemas resueltos de Tecnología elèctrica. Moreno, Bachiller, Bravo. Ed. Thomson

Teoría de Circuitos. V. Parra. UNED

Foundations of electrical engineering. H.R. Cogdell. Prentice Hall International
Editions

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GENERAL THEOREMS IN
1. INTRODUCTION LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

• In direct current (dc):

V1 V2 V
= = ⋅⋅⋅ = n = R
I1 I 2 In

• In alternating current (ac):

V1 V2 V
= = ⋅⋅⋅ = n = Z
I1 I 2 In

LINEAR CIRCUIT:
In a linear circuit the current and the voltage are proportional. The
proportionaly factor is a resistor R (dc) or an impedance Z (ac)

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 GENERAL THEOREMS IN
2. SUPERPOSITION THEOREM LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

a. In a linear circuit that can include both dependent or independent

excitation sources, the responses are linear combinations of the
excitations.
b. The response in a linear circuit (that can include dependent and
independent excitation sources) is the algebraic sum that would produce
one independent excitation source, i.e. we leave only one excitation
source and remove the rest.
I

Z
CIRCUIT
PASSIVE I0
We want to know the response of
V
CIRCUIT
PASSIU
impedance on applying the
superposition theorem.

E0 Restriction: Valid for linear

circuits and linear responses (V,I).
Not valid for active power (P)
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GENERAL THEOREMS IN
2. SUPERPOSITION THEOREM LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

a. The responses are linear combinations of the excitations.

V = K ⋅ E0 + H ⋅ I 0 CIRCUIT
Z V PASSIVE I0
I = G ⋅ E0 + J ⋅ I 0 CIRCUIT
PASSIU

E0

K , H , G , J are complex numbers that depend on the passive circuit.

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 GENERAL THEOREMS IN
2. SUPERPOSITION THEOREM LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

b. The circuit responses are the algebraic sum of the responses

produced by each independent excitation separately.
I1 I2

Z
CIRCUIT
PASSIVE PASSIVE
CIRCUIT
I0
V1 Z V2
CIRCUIT
PASSIU
CIRCUIT
PASSIU

E0
Total response:

V1 = K ⋅ E0 V = V1 − V2 V2 = H ⋅ I 0
I1 = G ⋅ E0 I = I1 − I 2 I2 = J ⋅ I0

V1 = K ⋅ E0 V2 = H ⋅ I 0 K ⋅ E0 − H ⋅ I 0 = V1 − V2 = V
I1 = G ⋅ E0 I 2 = J ⋅ I0 G ⋅ E0 − J ⋅ I 0 = I 1 − I 2 = I
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GENERAL THEOREMS IN
3. RECIPROCITY THEOREM (I) LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

The reciprocity theorem has two different formulations according to the

excitation source used (voltage or current source).

With a voltage source:

Zj IIqj IIqj Zq

E
PASSIVE
CIRCUIT CIRCUIT
PASSIVE
Zq Zj E
CIRCUIT
PASSIU CIRCUIT
PASSIU

The reciprocity theorem states that if a voltage source E in one branch “j” of a
reciprocal network produces a current I in another branch “q”, then if the voltage
source E is moved from the first branch to the second branch “q”, it will cause the
same current in the first branch “j”, where the voltage source has been replaced by
a short circuit.
Iq = I j
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 GENERAL THEOREMS IN
3. REPROCITY THEOREM (II) LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

Example:

The reciprocity theorem states that if a voltage source E in one branch “j” of a
reciprocal network produces a current I in another branch “q”, then if the voltage
source E is moved from the first branch to the second branch “q”, it will cause the
same current in the first branch “j”, where the voltage source has been replaced by
a short circuit.

Iq = I j

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GENERAL THEOREMS IN
3. REPROCITY THEOREM (III) LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

With a current source:

CIRCUIT
PASSIVE CIRCUIT
I0 Zj Zq Zj PASSIVE Zq I0
CIRCUIT Vq Vj
PASSIU CIRCUIT
PASSIU

If a current source I0 in one branch “j” of a reciprocal network produces a voltage

droop Vq in another branch “q”, then if the current source I0 is moved from the
first branch to the second branch “q”, it will cause the same voltage droop in the
first branch “j”, where the current source has been replaced by an open circuit.
Vq = V j
LIMITATIONS:
- Not valid when the circuit includes dependent excitation sources.
- Valid when there is only one independent excitation source. ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

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 GENERAL THEOREMS IN
4. SUBSTITUTION PRINCIPLE LINEAR CIRCUITS (I)

I I

V V I V

Any element in a circuit can be replaced, from the point of view of external effect,
by a voltage source (the emf equal to the potential difference in the element
terminals) or by a current source (its value equal to the current in the element) or
by an impedance; the value of the impedance will be the quotient of the potential
difference and the current that flows through the element (Ohm’s law).
CONSIDERATION:
- It should be pointed out that the active elements in the figure behave as passive
elements.
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