Node-Voltage Method

Nodal analysis provide a general procedure for analyzing circuits using node voltages
as the circuit variables

Node-Voltage Method is applicable to both planar and nonplanar circuits

Using the circuit shown, we can summarize the node-voltage methods as shown
next :
1 W 2 W

+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - 2 A
 1 W 1 2 W 2

+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - 2 A

3 3

Step 1 identify all essentials nodes Do not select the non essentials nodes

Step 2 select one of the essentials nodes ( 1, 2, or 3) as a reference node

Although the choice is arbitrary the choice for the reference node is were most of
branches, example node 3

Selecting the reference node will become apparent as you gain experience using
this method (i,.e, solving problems)
 1 W
v1 2 W
v2

+ +
+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - v1 v2 2 A

- -

A node voltage is defined as the voltage rise from the reference node to a nonreference node

Step 3 label all nonrefrence essentials nodes with alphabetical label as v1, v2

Step 4 write KCL equation on all labels nonrefrence nodes as shown next
 1 W
v1 2 W
v2

+ +
i1 i2
+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - v1 v2 2 A

i3
- -

KCL at node 1 i1 + i2 + i3 = 0 Let us find i1 , i2 , i3

v 1 - 10
By applying KVL (1)i 1 + 10 -v 1 0 i1
(1)
v 1 -v 2
KVL on the middle mesh, we have -v 1 + (2)i 2 + v 2 0 i2
2
v1
similarly v 1 - 0 (5)i 3 i3
(5)
 10 1 W
v1 2 W
v2

+ +
i1 i2
+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - v1 v2 2 A

i3
- -

Therefore i1 + i2 + i3 = 0 We have

v 1 - 10 v 1 -v 2 v1
+ + = 0
1 2 5
If we look at this KCL equation, we see that the current we notice that the potential at the
left side of the 1 W resistor which is tied to the + of the 10 V source is 10 V because
the is tied to the reference
 10 1 W v1 2 W v2

i1 i2
5 W

v 1 - 10
i1 i3
1
v 1 -v 2
i2
2
v1
i3
5
Therefore we can write KCL at node 1 without doing KVLs as we did previously

v 1 - 10 v 1 -v 2 v1 = 0
+ +
1 2 5
Similarly

v1 2 W v2

i4 i5
10 W 2 A

i6

v 2 -v 1 + v 2
KCL at node 2 10 -2 = 0
2
 10 1 W
v1 2 W
v2

+ 5 W 10 W
10 V - 2 A

v 1 - 10 v 1 -v 2 v1 = 0
+ +
1 2 5
v 2 -v 1 + v 2
10 -2 = 0
2

Two equations and two unknowns namely v1 , v2 we can solve and have

100 120
v1 9.09 V v2 10.91 V
11 11
2.6 The Node-Voltage Method and Dependent Sources

If the circuit contains dependent source, the node-voltage equations must be supplemented
with the constraint equations imposed by the dependent source as will be shown in the
example next

Example : Use the node voltage method to find the power dissipated in the 5 W resistor

i
 1 2

3 3

The circuit has three essentials nodes 1, 2, and 3 and one of them will be the reference

We select node 3 as the reference node since it has the most branches (i.e, 4 branches)

We need two node-voltage equations to describe the circuit

 20 v1 v2 8i

The circuit has two non essentials nodes which are connected to voltage sources and will
impose the constrain imposed by the value of the voltage sources on the non essential
nodes voltage
v 1 - 20 v1 v 1 -v 2
Applying KCL at node 1 + + 0
2 20 5
v 2 -v 1 v2 v 2 - 8i
Applying KCL at node 2 + + 0
5 10 2
 20 v1 v2 8i

v 1 - 20 v1 v 1 -v 2 v 2 -v 1 v2 v 2 - 8i
+ + 0 + + 0
2 20 5 5 10 2
The second node equation contain the current i which is related to the nodes voltages as

v 1 -v 2
i Substituting in the second node equation, we have the following
5 nodes equations

0.75v 1 - 0.2v 2 10 v 1 16 V v 2 10 V
Solving we have
-v 1 + 1.6v 2 0 16-10
i =1.2 A p5W (1.2) 2 (5) 7.2 W
5
 2.6.2 The Node-Voltage Method : Some Special Cases

Let us consider the following circuit

1 10 W
2

+ 25 W 50 W
100 V 5 A
-

3 3

The circuit has three essentials nodes 1, 2, and 3 which means that two simultaneous
equations are needed.

From the three essentials nodes, a reference node has been chosen and the other two
nodes have been labeled
 100 v1 10 W
v2

+ 25 W 50 W
100 V 5 A
-

However since the 100 V source constrains the voltage between node 1 and the reference
node to 100 V.

v 1 100 V

This mean that there is only one unknown node voltage namely (v2)

v 2 -v 1 v2
Applying KCL at node 2 + + -5 0
10 50
Since v 1 100 V v 2 125 V

Knowing v1 and v2 we can calculate the current in every branch