Chapter 3

Methods of Analysis

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Methods of Analysis - Chapter 3

3.1 Motivation
3.2 Nodal analysis.
3.3 Nodal analysis with voltage sources.
3.4 Mesh analysis.
3.5 Mesh analysis with current sources.
3.6 Nodal and mesh analysis by
inspection.
3.7 Nodal versus mesh analysis.

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 Motivation
• Set of equations (KCL,KVL & Ohm’s law are
sufficient to perform circuit analysis for any circuit.
• To be more specific, in solving a circuit that
comprises B branches (i.e it has B circuit elements)
and N nodes.
• We are solving for 2B variables i.e B branch
voltage and B branch currents.
• We need 2B independent equations to obtain
unambiguous solutions.
• For circuit with B branches and N nodes, there will
be N-1 independent KCL equations.
• B-N+1 independent KVL equations and B branch
element equations. 3
 3.1 Motivation (1)
If you are given the following circuit, how can
we determine (1) the voltage across each
resistor, (2) current through each resistor. (3)
power generated by each current source, etc.

What are the things which we need to know in order to determine

the answers?
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Sol: Finding the node voltage
 3.1 Motivation (2)
Things we need to know in solving any
resistive circuit with current and voltage
sources only:

• Kirchhoff’s Current Laws (KCL)

• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Laws (KVL)
• Ohm’s Law

How should we apply these laws to

determine the answers?
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 Introduction
• Having understood the fundamental laws of circuit
theory (Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s laws), we are now
prepared to apply these laws to develop two
powerful techniques for circuit analysis:
• Two Techniques
• nodal analysis, which is based on a systematic
application of Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL), and
• mesh analysis, which is based on a systematic
application of Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL).

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 Nodal Analysis
• To analyze the circuits (to calculate
variables in the circuit)
• Variables means voltage and current
• Nodal analysis: This analysis is to
calculate the voltage at node, after
that calculate the current from
voltage.

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Node Analysis Procedure
• Steps to determine Node Analysis:
• Step1: Determine the number of nodes n.
• Step2: Select a node as reference node (ground node). Assign voltages V1,
V2, ….…Vn-1 to the remaining n-1 nodes. The voltages are referenced with
respect to the reference node.
• Ground node is assumed to have 0(zero) potential.
• Step3: Apply KCL to each of the n-1 non-reference nodes. Use Ohm’s law to
express the branch current in terms of node voltages.
• Step4: Solve the resulting simultaneous equations to obtain the un-known
node voltages.
• a) Current flows from a higher potential to lower potential in resistor.
• b) If a voltage source is connected between the reference node and a non-
reference node, we simply set the voltage at the non-reference node equal
to the voltage of the source.
• c) Multiple methods to solve the simultaneous equations in Step4.
• 1) Method 1: Elimination technique (good for few variables)
• 2) Method 2: Write in terms of matrix and vectors (write Ax=b) then use
Cramer’s rule.
• 3) Method 3: Use computer or calculators.
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 Problem: nodal analysis
• Find the value of V4 in below circuit.

Note: Current flow higher potential to lower potential in resistor 9

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 3.3 Nodal Analysis with
Voltage Source (1)
Example 4 –circuit with independent voltage source

How to handle the 2V voltage source? 12

 3.3 Nodal Analysis with Voltage Source
A super-node is formed by enclosing a (dependent or independent)
voltage source connected between two non-reference nodes and any
elements connected in parallel with it.

*Note: We analyze a circuit with super-nodes using the same three

steps mentioned above except that the super-nodes are treated
differently.
Basic steps:

1. Take off all voltage sources in super-nodes and apply KCL

to super-nodes.

2. Put voltage sources back to the nodes and apply KVL to

relative loops.

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3.3 Nodal Analysis with Voltage
Source (4)
Example 5 – circuit with independent voltage source
Super-node => 2-i1-i2-7 = 0

Apply KVL => v1+2-v2 = 0

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3.3 Nodal Analysis with Voltage
Source (5)
Example 6 – circuit with two independent voltage
sources

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 3.3 Nodal Analysis with Voltage
Source (6)
Example 7 – circuit with two independent voltage
sources

-i1-i2 + i3 = 0 -i3-i5-i4 + i1 = 0 v1-20-v2 = 0 v3-3vx-v4 = 0

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 3.4 Mesh Analysis (1)
1. Mesh analysis provides another general
procedure for analyzing circuits using mesh
currents as the circuit variables.

2. Nodal analysis applies KCL to find unknown

voltages in a given circuit, while mesh analysis
applies KVL to find unknown currents.

3. A mesh is a loop which does not contain any

other loops within it.

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 3.4 Mesh Analysis (2)
Steps to determine the mesh currents:

1. Assign mesh currents i1, i2, …, in to the

n meshes.

2. Apply KCL to each of the n meshes. Use Ohm’s

law to express the voltages in terms of the
mesh currents.

3. Solve the resulting n simultaneous equations

to get the mesh currents.
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 3.4 Mesh Analysis (2)
Steps to determine the mesh currents:

1. Assign mesh currents i1, i2, …, in to the

n meshes.

2. Apply KCL to each of the n meshes. Use Ohm’s

law to express the voltages in terms of the
mesh currents.

3. Solve the resulting n simultaneous equations

to get the mesh currents.
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 3.4 Mesh Analysis (3)
Example 8 – circuit with independent voltage sources

Note:
i1 and i2 are mesh current (imaginative, not measurable directly)
I1, I2 and I3 are branch current (real, measurable directly)
I1 = i1; I2 = i2; I3 = i1 - i2
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For the circuit find the branch currents I1 , I2, and I3 using mesh
analysis.

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 3.4 Mesh Analysis (4)
Example 9 – circuit with dependent voltage source

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answer Io = 1.5A
Use mesh analysis to find the current io
in the circuit

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 3.5 Mesh Analysis with Current
Source (2)
The properties of a super-mesh:

1. The current source in the super-mesh is not

completely ignored; it provides the constraint
equation necessary to solve for the mesh
currents.

2. A super-mesh has no current of its own.

3. A super-mesh requires the application of both

KVL and KCL.

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 3.5 Mesh Analysis with Current
Source (1)
Circuit with current source

A super-mesh results when two meshes have a (dependent or

independent) current source in common as shown in (a). We create
a super-mesh by excluding the current source and any elements
connected in series with it as shown in (b).
(a)Two meshes having a current source in common, 26
(b) a supermesh, created by excluding the current source.
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Find vo, and io in the circuit of Fig.
3.108.

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• When all sources in a circuit are independent
current sources, we do not need to apply KCL to
each node to obtain the node-voltage equations.
• The circuit has two non-reference nodes and the
node equations were derived as

Observe that each of the diagonal terms is the

sum of the conductances connected directly to
node 1 or 2, while the off-diagonal terms are
the negatives of the conductances connected
between the nodes.
Also, each term on the right-hand side of Eq.
is the algebraic sum of the currents entering
the node.
I 37
1
v1
G
In general, if a circuit with independent current sources has N
non-reference nodes, the node-voltage equations can be
written in terms of the conductances as

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In general, if the circuit has N meshes, the mesh-current
equations can be expressed in terms of the resistances as

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 3.6 Nodal and Mesh Analysis
with Inspection (2)
Example 10 – By inspection, write the nodal voltage equations
for the circuit

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 3.6 Nodal and Mesh Analysis
with Inspection (3)
Example 11 – By inspection, write the mesh-current equations for the circuit

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 3.7 Nodal versus Mesh Analysis
To select the method that results in the smaller number of
equations. For example:

1. Choose nodal analysis for circuit with fewer nodes than

meshes.
*Choose mesh analysis for circuit with fewer meshes than
nodes.
*Networks that contain many series connected elements,
voltage sources, or super meshes are more suitable for
mesh analysis.
*Networks with parallel-connected elements, current sources,
or super nodes are more suitable for nodal analysis.
2. If node voltages are required, it may be expedient
(convenient) to apply nodal analysis.
3. If branch or mesh currents are required, it may be better to
use mesh analysis.

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