1

Physics 364: Circuit Example 2: Nodal Analysis Prof. Kroll

Not all circuits have configurations of components that make the previous approach to de-
termining the voltages and the currents practical. An example of such a configuration is
shown below:

This configuration is known as the “Wheatstone Bridge.” It is used to measure the value of
an unknown resistance (maybe we will talk about this more in another lecture). You cannot
reduce this circuit to a single equivalent resistance using our formulas for combining resistors
in series and in parallel; we need a more systematic approach for determining voltages and
currents in a circuit with multiple sources and tangled arrays of components.

The methods we will use are called “nodal” and “mesh” analysis. These methods are out-
lined in a previous handout. In nodal analysis we determine node voltages, and this method
is particularly well suited for circuits with current sources. In mesh analysis we determine
mesh currents, and this method is particularly well suited for circuits with voltage sources.

We will start with an example of nodal analysis. The circuit is shown below.

10k

2k

10mA 1k 2k 50mA

First we have to identify the nodes, and then we need to define the reference node or
“ground.” This circuit has three nodes, and we have defined the bottom node as the ref-
erence node. We will use nodal analysis to find the voltages at nodes 1 and 2: V1 and V2 .
 2

Always remember that what we are really determining is not absolute voltages but relative

1111111
0000000 1111111
0000000
voltages V1 − V3 and V2 − V3 .

0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111
V1
10k
0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111 V2

0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111 2k
0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111 0000000
1111111
0000000
1111111 0000000
1111111
10mA 1k 2k 50mA

11111111111111
00000000000000
00000000000000
11111111111111
V3

Then we write down equations that express KCL using the node voltages. We need to define
the direction of our currents. The directions we have chosen are shown in the figure. After
we find V1 and V2 we will evaluate if we chose the correct sense of current flow. The nodal
equation for node 1 is (the sum of the currents flowing into the node equals the sum of the
currents flowing out of the node)
V1 − V2 V1 − V2 V1
10 mA = + + .
10k 2k 1k
The nodal equation for node 2 is
V1 − V2 V1 − V2 V2
+ = + 50 mA.
10k 2k 2k
These two equations can be simplified to the follow pair of equations:

16V1 − 6V2 = 100

6V1 − 11V2 = 500

which have the solutions V1 = − 95 7

V = −13.6 V and V2 = − 370 7
V = −52.9 V. (We have
dropped the units in this set of equations. Our currents are in mA and our resistances are
in kΩ so our voltages are in V.)

Now that we have our node voltages, we can determine the currents. We find that V1 > V2 ,
so our assumed directions of current through the 10k and 2k resistors that are oriented
horizontally in our circuit are correct, and the values of those currents are 3.9 mA and
19.6 mA, respectively. Both V1 and V2 are negative, and the terminology that we use to
express this fact is that they are below ground. The assumed direction of currents though
the 1k and 2k resistors that are oriented vertically in our circuit is incorrect. The values of
these currents are 13.6 mA and 26.4 mA, upwards.
 3

Circuit Example 3: Another Example of Nodal Analysis

For a second example of nodal analysis, consider the circuit below.

+
12V
2k 2k

1k 1k
+
6V 2k 12V
+

As in the previous example, we must first identify the nodes, then we must choose a reference
node. There are five nodes, we chose the bottom node (V5 ) as our ground.

V1
1
0
0
1
+
I 12V
2k 2k
V3
V2 1
0
0
1 1
0
0
1 1
0
0
1 V4
1k 1k
+
6V 2k 12V
+
1
0
0
1
V5

Since there are voltage supplies between node 2 and node 5 and node 4 and node 5, we know
V2 and V4 :
V2 = −6 V V4 = 12 V.
Now we apply KCL at the other two nodes to determine V1 and V3 . We will assume that
the currents are flowing as indicated in setting up our equations, and we will substitute our
values for V2 and V4 . Again we will not write units. Our resistors values are in kΩ and the
currents are in mA. We start with node 1:
−6 − V1 12 − V1
+I + = 0.
2 2
 4

We were forced to introduce an additional unknown, current I, which is flowing in the

direction indicated through the 12 V supply between node 3 and node 1. At node 3 we have
V3 + 6 V3 V3 − 12
0=I+ + + .
1 2 1
We have two equations and three unknowns: V1 , V3 , and I. There is an additional constraint,
however, between V1 and V3 :
V1 = V3 + 12.
The solution to these three equations yields
78 6 57
V1 = V V3 = − V I = mA.
7 7 7
 5

Circuit Example 3: Mesh Analysis

In the previous example of nodal analysis, we were forced to introduce an unknown current
I in addition to our unknown node voltages Vi . Circuits with voltage sources are convenient
to analyze with a different approach called mesh current analysis. In this method, we first
identify the meshes in the circuit. Then we assign mesh currents Ii to each mesh. We use
KVL around each mesh to set up a system of equations that we can then solve for the
mesh currents Ii , which are our unknowns. The same circuit that was used in the previous
example is shown below. There are four meshes in this circuit, and we have assigned four
mesh currents; the direction of these currents is indicated by the arrows.

+ 12V

2k I1 I2 2k

1k 1k
+
6V I3 2k I4 12V
+

There are two currents flowing in components that are at the boundary of two meshes; for
example, in the upper 12 V source, I1 flows down and I2 flows up. After we solve for these
two currents, we can check our answers using our previous nodal analysis by verifying that
I = I2 − I1 . We will apply KVL to each mesh starting at the lower left-hand corner and
proceeding clockwise around the mesh. The method does not require that all the mesh
currents are defined as flowing clockwise. They could all be counterclockwise, or some could
be clockwise, and some could be counterclockwise. As always, the solution to the equations
will tell us the actual direction of flow, however, I find it less confusing to assign all the
currents as all flowing clockwise or all flowing counterclockwise. The four mesh equations
are
−2I1 − 12 − 1(I1 − I3 ) = 0
12 − 2I2 − 1(I2 − I4 ) = 0
−6 − 1(I3 − I1 ) − 2(I3 − I4 ) = 0
−2(I4 − I3 ) − 1(I4 − I2 ) − 12 = 0.
 6

These equations can be simplified to

−3I1 +I3 = 12
−3I2 +I4 = −12
I1 −3I3 +2I4 = 6
+I2 +2I3 −3I4 = 12.

The solutions are

60 3 96 93
I1 = − mA I2 = − mA I3 = − mA I4 = − mA.
7 7 7 7
All the mesh currents flow counterclockwise; I2 − I1 = 57/7 mA, which is what we found for
I when we solved for the node voltages.