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THEVENIN & NORTON EQUIVALENTS

 Entire circuit prior to the terminals (where load connects)

replaced by a single voltage source in series with a
resistance. This is called Thevenin Equivalent.

 Entire circuit prior to the terminals (where load connects)

replaced by a single current source in parallel with a
resistance. This is called Norton Equivalent.
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FINDING THEVENIN’S EQUIVALENT

 Replace network on left of terminals A-B with equivalent circuit.
How?
 Open circuit A-B
 Measure VAB in both circuits VTH = VOC
 This is equivalent voltage source
 Short circuit A-B
 Measure IAB in both circuits ISC = VTH/RTH
 Equivalent series resistor is RTH = VTH/ISC

VAB =VOC VAB =VTH IAB=ISC IAB = VTH/RTH

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FINDING RTH: ALTERNATIVE METHOD

 An Alternative method of finding RTH is disable all sources in both

circuits & measure RAB in both circuits
 Replace voltage sources with 0V (i.e. short circuit)
 Replace current sources with 0A (i.e. open circuit)

RTH = Req|A-B OC
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THEVENIN’S EQUIVALENT EXAMPLE 1

 What is the current through RL?
 RL is the load so everything to left of AB will be
transformed to Thevenin’s Equivalent.
 Find VTH:

1. Open circuit AB - remove RL

2. Find VAB A

R1
3 ohms
R2
6 6 ohms
VTH  VAB  36 *  24V 36
3  6 Volts RL
2 ohms

B
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THEVENIN’S EQUIVALENT EXAMPLE 1

 Find RTH:
1. Short circuit AB
2. Find ISC ISC  36 / 3  12 A
3. RTH = VTH/ISC
=2
A
 Current through RL:
R1
24 3 ohms
R2
I RL   6A
2  2 36
6 ohms

Volts RL
2 ohms
 Verify using NVA IRL = 6A
 What’s the benefit? B
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THEVENIN’S EQUIVALENT EXAMPLE 1

 Alternative Method to Find RTH:
1. Disable all voltage and current sources
2. Equivalent resistance at AB is RTH =RAB= (3 || 6) = 2

R1
3 ohms
R2
6 ohms
36
Volts RL
2 ohms

24
 Current through RL again: I RL   6A
2  2
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FINDING NORTON’S EQUIVALENT

 Norton’s theorem simplifies a network in terms of currents instead
of voltages.
 Norton’s theorem can be used to reduce a network to an equivalent
current source in parallel with a simple resistive circuit.
 Replace network on left of terminals A-B with equivalent circuit.
How?
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NORTON EQUIVALENT EXAMPLE

 Find Norton Equivalent wrt nodes XY.

 Everything to left of XY will be transformed to Norton
Equivalent.
 Find IN:

1. Short circuit XY
2. Find IN
 Find RTH:
1. Open circuit XY
2. Find VOC
3. RTH = VOC/IN
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NORTON EQUIVALENT EXAMPLE

 Alternative Method to Find RTH:

1. Disable all voltage and current sources
2. Find equivalent resistance looking into nodes XY

IN  4A
RN  8