ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING
Laboratory II

SUPER POSITION, THEVENIN,

NORTON THEOREM & MAXIMUM
POWER TRANSFER.

Student Name: Mahroo Uris

Lecturer: Miss Nohaidda.
Date of Experiment: 5th-March-15
Date of Submission: 12th-March-15.

Abstract:

The experiment was conducted to verify Superposition, Thevenin and Norton Theorem.
Superposition states that the current or voltage in any branch of a linear circuit having
more than one independent source equals the algebraic sum of responses caused by each
independent source acting alone where all other independent sources are replaced by their
internal impedances. Thevenin theorem is widely used for circuit analysis simplification
and to study circuits initial condition and steady state responses. Norton Theorem states
that it is possible to simplify any circuit no matter how complex it is to an equivalent circuit
with just a single current source.

Objective:
To verify the superposition theorem on a resistive circuit.
To demonstrate the Thevenin and Norton Theorems.
To prove the Maximum Power Transfer Theorem for resistive circuit.

Introduction:
Superposition Theorem: The total current in any part of a linear circuit is equals to the
algebraic sum of the currents produced by each source separately. To know the
contribution of each individual source, all the other sources must first be set to zero either
by replacing all other independent voltage sources with a short circuit, thereby eliminating
potential difference i.e V=0. Replacing all other independent current sources with an open
circuit thereby eliminating current i.e I=0.
Thevenins Theorem: In circuit analysis this theorem is for linear networks which states
that any combination of voltage sources, current sources, and resistors with two terminals
is electrically equivalent to a single voltage source in series with a series resistor.
Nortons Theorem: Any collection of batteries and resistances with two terminals is
electrically equivalent to an ideal current source i in parallel with a single resistor r. The
value of r is the same as that in the Thevenin equivalent and the current i can be found by
dividing the open circuit voltage by r.

Maximum Power Transfer: In a resistive circuit, a resistor receives a maximum power

when the load resistance is equal to the Thevenins equivalent resistance of the circuit.
The maximum power can be calculated using the expression:

P=

V 2 oc
4 RTH

Apparatus:

DC Power Supply
Digital Multimeter
Breadboard
Resistors: 10k , 22k , 33k , 47k and 1k
Potentiometer

Experimental Method:
Superposition Theorem:
First checked the values of the resistors using the multimeter. Recorded the values in

Table 1.
Connected the circuit of Figure 1 and measured VL and IL.
Deactivated the 10V source and measured VL and IL.
Reactivated the 10V sources and deactivated the 5V source. Measured VL and IL.
Recorded the results in Table 2.
Compared the theoretical and experimental values of the voltages and currents
obtained using superposition. Calculated the percentage error.
Figure 1

Thevenin and Norton Theorems:

Removed RL from the original circuit and measured the open circuit voltage V
(OC).
Measured the short circuit current I (SC). This was accomplished by placing an
Ammeter between A and B. In this manner acted like short circuit.
Then replaced the voltage sources with short circuits. With RL removed from the
circuit, measured the R (TH) using a multimeter.
Recorded the results in Table 3.
Drew the Thevenins and Nortons equivalent circuit obtained experimentally.
Maximum Power Transfer:
Reconnected the circuit as shown in Figure 1, but replaced the 22k resistor
between A and B and by a potentiometer.
Varied RL from 2.5k to 10.5k in steps of 1k and measured VL in each case.
Recorded the results in Table 4.
Calculated PL from step 2 above and recorded the results in Table 5.

Results and Analysis:

Table 1
Resistor Value:
Resistor

R1

R2

R3

R4

R5

Resistor Value

10K

22K

1K

47K

33K

Ohmmeter Reading

9.82

21.6

9.97

26.8

5.54

Table 2
Superposition Theorem:
VL (V)

VL (V)

VL (V)

IL (mA)

IL (mA)

IL (mA)

Theory

3.611

0.398

3.213

0.6516

0.716

0.58

Experiment

3.55

0.39

3.16

0.65

0.07

0.58

% Error

1.689

2.05

1.650

0.246

0.838

Table 3
Thevenins and Norton Equivalent Circuits:
V (OC) (V)

I (SC) (mA)

R (TH) (K )

Theory

7.845

1.144

5.902

Experiment

8.23

1.13

24.4

Error

4.678

1.250

0.135

Table 4
Load Voltage Results:

RL (K )

2.5

3.5

4.5

5.5

6.5

7.5

8.5

9.5

10.5

VL ( Theory)

2.35

2.76

3.26

3.61

3.97

4.38

4.53

4.76

4.98

VL

2.34

2.74

3.21

3.59

3.95

4.35

4.50

4.75

4.93

(Experiment)

Table 5
Maximum Power Transfer Results:
RL ( K )

2.5

3.5

4.5

5.5

6.5

7.5

8.5

PL ( Theory)

0.55

0.554

0.59

0.592

0.606

0.639

0.604

(mW)

PL (Experi
mental)
% Error

10.5

0.596

0.590

0.548

0.596

0.572

0.586

0.600

0.631

0.596

0.594

0.579

mw

mw

mw

mw

mw

mw

mw

mw

mw

0.72

0.87

0.30

0.10

0.99

0.12

0.13

0.33

0.18

Calculations:
For superposition:
VL, VL and VL by using voltage division
First combine R1, R2, R3 & R4
9.9726.8
RA=
=7.267
9.97+ 26.8
RB=7.267+21.6=28.867
RC=

9.5

28.8675.54
=4.648
28.867+5.54

V L=

4.648
10=3.213
4.648+9.82

9.825.54
=3.542
9.82+5.54

RA=

RB=3.542+21.6=25.142
RC=

25.14226.8
=12.972
25.142+26.8

VA=

12.972
5=2.827
12.972+9.97

VB=

3.542
2.827=0.398
3.542+ 21.6

V =0.398+ 3.213=3.611

IL, IL & IL using current division

Rt = 4.648 + 9.82 = 14.468
10
I=
=0.691 A
14.468
I L= {28.867} over {28.867+5.54} * .691 = 0.580 A
Rt = 12.972 + 9.97 = 22.94
5
I=
=0.218
22.94
IX=

26.8
0.218=0.112
26.8+25.142

I ' L=

9.82
.112=0.0716
5.54+ 9.82

I =0.0716+0.58=0.6516

For Thevenin and Norton Equivalent Circuit:

RA=9 .82+21 . 6=31 . 42

RB=

31 . 4226 . 8
=14 . 463
31. 42+26 . 8

Rth=

14 . 4639 . 97
=5 .902
14 . 463+ 9 .97

Using nodal analysis

-10 + 9.82i1 = 0
I1 = 1.0183
21.6i2 + 26.8(i2 i3) =0
48.4i2 26.8i3 =0
26.8(i3 i2) + 9.97i3 + 5 = 0
-26.8i2 + 36.77i3 = -5
Using Cramers rule
I1 = 1.0183
I2 = -0.126
I3 = -0.228
IOC = 1.0183 -0.126 = 1.1443
Using superposition
24 . 433
V 1=
10=7 . 133
24 . 433+9 . 82
24 . 4339. 82
=7 . 005
24 . 433+ 9 .82

RA=

RB=7 . 005+21 .6

RC=
VA=

= 28.605

28 . 60526 .8
=13 .837
28 . 605+26 . 8

13. 837
5=2 .906
13 . 837+9 . 97

VB=

7 . 005
2. 906=0 .711
21. 6+7 .005

Vth = 0.711 + 7.133 = 7.845

Thevenins circuit obtained in Part B

Nortons circuit obtained in Part C

Discussion:
For Superposition there were resistors given which were been checked and measured by
ohmmeter and recorded in the table. The error percentage was quit small the highest
error percentage was 2.05% for current using two voltage sources & lowest error
percentage was 0.0% for current using the 5v voltage source. The experimental error
may include the resistance of connecting wire & clips which might have altered the

actual current values; to reduce this, sand paper could be used to sand the surface of
the clips.
For Thevenin and Norton the experiment was conducted to verify the theorem. The
error percentage was quit small too and we got the highest error percentage was 4.678
for the voltage, and the lowest percentage error was 0.135 for the resistor.
For Maximum power transfer first weve measured the load voltage theoretically and
experimentally and weve found out that the highest voltage load was for the 10.5k
which is 0.590V theoretically and 0.579V experimentally; also weve found out that the
lowest load voltage is for the 2.5k resistor which is 0.552V theoretically and 0.548V
experimentally.
As for the maximum power transfer weve measured the error percentage which we got
the highest of 0.99% for the 6.5k, and the lowest of 0.10% for the 5.5k.

Conclusion:
The experiment conducted and the results obtained were satisfactory. The calculations
made were verifying the theorems thus the experiment come up to its end that the
objective was achieved and all the theorems were verified.