Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Course Code: EEE 1102

Course Title: Electrical Circuits I Lab
Section: 03
Group: A

Lab Report: 08
Experiment No: 08
Experiment Name: Verification of Thevenin and Norton
Theorems

Submitted to: MD Shofiqul Islam PHD

Submitted by: Mashruka Tayiba Ahona

Student ID: 241014016

Department of CSE
Submission Date: 02.01.2025
OBJECTIVE:
To verify Thevenin's theorem with reference to a given circuit theoretically as well as experimentally.

INTRODUCTION:

It is often desirable in circuit analysis to study the effect of changing a particular branch element while
all other branches and all the sources in the circuit remain unchanged. Thevenin’s theorem is a
technique to this end and it reduces greatly the amount of computations which we have to do each time
a change is made. Using Thevenin’s theorem the given circuit excepting the particular branch to be
studied is reduced to the simplest equivalent circuit possible and then the branch to be changed is
connected across the equivalent circuit.

The Thevenin’s theorem states that any two terminal linear bilateral network containing sources and
passive elements can be replaced by an equivalent circuit consist of a voltage source V th in series a
resistor Rth where

Vth = the open circuit voltage (VOC) at the two terminals A & B.
Rth = the resistance looking into the terminals A and B of the network with all sources removed.

RTH A IL
A
IL
Linear
Bilateral VTH VL RL
VL RL
Network

B B

There are several methods for determining Thevenin resistance R TH. An attractive method for
determining RTH is: (1) determine the open circuit voltage, and (2) determine the short circuit current
ISC as shown in the Figure; then
RTH

RVOCTH
VTH ISC
I
SC
APPARATUS:

 Four Rheostat /Resistance box (100 or less than 100)

 Multimeter as Voltmeter
 Ammeter
 DC Power Supply.
 Wires

PROCEDURE:
For Original Circuit:

1. Arrange the DC source and R1, R2, R3 & RL to the original circuit as shown in Figure 1. Apply (15-
25) V dc from dc power supply.
2. Measure VL, IL for three values of RL & record the data in the Table-1.

R2 A IL

VS R1 R3 RL IL V VL

B
FIG.1: Original Circuit

FINDING VTh & RTH:

3. Remove the load resistance RL and find the open circuit voltage between terminals A & B. This
voltage is Thevenin voltage i.e. VTH=VOC.
R2 A

VS R1 R3 RL
VOC VL

FIG.2: Circuit for finding VOC.

4. Place a short circuit between terminals A & B and find the short circuit current ISC. Divide The
open circuit voltage by the short circuit current to find the Thevenin resistance R TH i.e.

RVOCTH
I
SC
 R2 A

VS R1 R3 A RL VL

ISC

FIG.3: Circuit for finding ISC

For Thevenin Equivalent Circuit:

5. Construct the Thevenin’s equivalent circuit as shown in Figure 4 setting the power supply at VTH
volts and the variable at RTH ohms. Now measure the load current IL and the load voltage VL for
the three values of RL determined in step 2 and show the results in Table-2. Compare the results
Table-1 & Table-2.

RTH A IL

VTH VL RL

B
FIG.3: Thevenin Equivalent Circuit of Circuit1.

For Norton Equivalent Circuit:

6. Use source transformation to determine Norton equivalent circuit.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA:

Table1: Data for Original circuit R1=0.92, R2=3.15 , R3=1.94 , R4=4.20 k

No. of Obs. Apply voltage Values of RL Load Voltage VL Load current IL

VS (volt) () (volt) (A)
1. 20 5.986k 6.11V 1.65mA
2. 20 3.3 k 6.5V 2.17mA
3. 20 6.8 k 10.0 V 1.43mA

VTH =8.8V ,

RTH =1.24 k

sc = 7.8mA
Table2: Data for Thevenin equivalent circuit

No. of Thevenin Thevenin Values of Load Voltage Load current

Obs. voltage VTH Resistance RTH RL VL IL
(volt) () () (volt) (A)
1. 9.672V 1.24 k 5.986k 6.19V 1.03mA
2. 9.672V 1.24 k 3.3 k 6.00V 1.67mA
3. 9.672V 1.24 k 6.8 k 10.0V 0.86mA

REPORT:

1. Find theoretically the Thevenin equivalent circuit for the values of R1, R2, R3 & VS recorded in
table. Also find IL, VL.
2. Show the results in tabular form in Table-1 & Table-2.
3. Comment on the results obtained (e.g. analysis of percent error) and discrepancies in
different setting of circuit

QUESTION:

1. Define unilateral, bilateral & equivalent circuit.

Unilateral Circuit:

 A circuit in which the behavior or characteristics change when the direction of voltage or current
is reversed.
 These circuits allow current to flow only in one direction.
 Example: Diode circuits are unilateral because a diode conducts current only in one direction.

Bilateral Circuit:

 A circuit in which the behavior or characteristics remain the same regardless of the direction of
voltage or current.
 These circuits allow current to flow in both directions without altering their operation.
 Example: Resistors, inductors, and capacitors are typically bilateral components as their
operation does not depend on the direction of current.

Equivalent Circuit:

 A simplified representation of a complex circuit that maintains the same electrical behavior as
the original circuit at specific terminals.
 It is used to analyze and understand circuit behavior more easily.
 Example: Thevenin's equivalent circuit or Norton's equivalent circuit simplifies a network into a
single voltage source with a series resistance or a current source with parallel resistance,
respectively.
2. Describe other methods for determining Thevenin resistance.

Using Open-Circuit and Short-Circuit Tests:

 Open-Circuit Voltage (VocV_{\text{oc}}Voc):

o Measure or calculate the voltage across the open terminals (where the load is
disconnected).
 Short-Circuit Current (IscI_{\text{sc}}Isc):
o Determine the current when the terminals are shorted.
 Thevenin Resistance: Rth=VocIscR_{\text{th}} = \frac{V_{\text{oc}}}{I_{\text{sc}}}Rth=Isc
Voc

Deactivating Independent Sources:

 Turn off all independent sources in the circuit:

o Replace voltage sources with short circuits (zero voltage).
o Replace current sources with open circuits (zero current).
 Calculate the equivalent resistance seen at the terminals.

Test Source Method:

 Apply a test voltage (VtestV_{\text{test}}Vtest) or test current (ItestI_{\text{test}}Itest) at the

load terminals.
 Measure or calculate the resulting current or voltage.
 Use Ohm's law to find RthR_{\text{th}}Rth: Rth=VtestItestR_{\text{th}} = \frac{V_{\
text{test}}}{I_{\text{test}}}Rth=ItestVtest

3. Mention the advantages of using Thevenin Theorem.

Simplifies Circuit Analysis:

 Converts a complex circuit into a simple equivalent circuit with a single voltage source and
series resistance.
 Reduces the computational effort for analyzing circuits.

Facilitates Load Analysis:

 Makes it easy to study the effect of varying the load resistance (RLR_LRL) without re-analyzing
the entire circuit.
 Particularly useful in design and optimization.

Time-Saving in Repeated Calculations:

 Once the Thevenin equivalent is determined, different load conditions can be analyzed quickly
by substituting various RLR_LRL values.

Provides Insight into Circuit Behavior:

 Helps in understanding how the source and internal resistance affect the load voltage and current.
 Highlights the maximum power transfer condition, which occurs when RL=RthR_L = R_{th}RL
=Rth.

Practical in Real-Life Applications:

 Commonly used in electrical and electronic engineering to simplify power systems, amplifier
designs, and network analysis.
 Handles Both Linear and Mixed Sources:

 Can be applied to circuits with independent and dependent sources, provided the circuit is linear.

Versatile Tool:

 Works with DC and AC circuits, with modifications for impedance in the AC domain.

REFERENCE:

 Introduction to Electric Circuits.

By R.C. Dorf & J.A. Svoboda.
 Introductory Circuit Analysis.
By R. L. Boylestad.
 A Text Book of Electrical Technology, Vol.1
By B. L. Theraja & A. K. Theraja