ELCIAN1

Lecture 08 – Thevenin’s and

Norton’s Theorems
Elmer R. Magsino, MS EE

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Outline
Thevenin’s Theorem
Norton’s Theorem

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Thevenin’s Theorem
Consider a circuit which can be represented by two
networks: A which is linear and B, which may be
linear or non-linear. Any dependent source in
network A is controlled by a current or voltage in
network A. The same is true with network B.
x
Linear
Network
Network
B
A
y

Network A can be replaced by a voltage source Vth

which is connected in series with a resistor Rth.
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The Thevenin equivalent of network A is shown.
Rth
x
+
Network
Vth
- B
y
where
Vth= open-circuit voltage from terminal x to
terminal y, with network B removed
Rth= the equivalent resistance from terminal x
to terminal y, looking into network A, with
all independent sources reduced to zero.
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Norton’s Theorem
Consider a circuit which can be represented by two
networks: A which is linear and B, which may be
linear or non-linear. Any dependent source in
network A is controlled by a current or voltage in
network A. The same is true with network B.
x
Linear
Network
Network
B
A
y

Network A can be replaced by a current source In

which is connected in parallel with a resistor Rn.
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The Norton equivalent of network A is shown.

In Rn Network
B
y
where
In = short-circuit current from terminal x to
terminal y, with network B removed
Rn=Rth=the equivalent resistance from terminal x
to terminal y, looking into network A, with
all independent sources reduced to zero.
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 Thevenin Equivalent
General Procedure
1. Remove the load and find the voltage across the
open circuit terminals, VOC. This is the Thevenin
equivalent voltage.
2. Determine the Thevenin equivalent resistance Rth
at the open terminals with the load removed.
3. Connect the load to the Thevenin equivalent
circuit, consisting of VOC in series with Rth. The
desired solution can now be obtained.
Rth
+
VOC Rth + Rload
VOC
-
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 General Procedure for Determining
Thevenin Resistance
• If the circuit contains only independent sources,
suppress all sources and compute the resistance at
the open terminals.
• If the circuit contains only dependent sources,
apply an independent voltage (current) source at
the open terminals and measure the corresponding
current (voltage). The Thevenin equivalent
resistance is given by the voltage/current ratio.

• If the circuit contains both independent and

dependent sources, determine the short circuit
current ISC at the open terminals. The ratio VOC/ISC
is the resistance Rth.
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 Norton Equivalent
General Procedure
1. Remove the load and find ISC, the short-circuit
current. ISC is the Norton equivalent current.
2. Determine the Norton equivalent resistance Rn
at the open terminals with the load removed.
Note that Rn is the same as Rth.
3. Connect the load to the Norton equivalent
circuit, consisting of ISC in parallel with Rn. The
desired solution can now be obtained.

ISC Rn ISC Rn Rload

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 Circuits with
9V + Independent Sources
600
- Only
10mA
300
Example 1: Find
+
the voltage VO using
300 1k VO 500
Thevenin’s theorem.
-

First, find VOC. Remove

the 1k resistor and find 9V + I1 600
-
the open-circuit voltage. 10mA
300
The current in mesh 2 +
is known already. 300 VOC 500
I2
-
I2 = 10mA
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For mesh 1 we get
 9  300(I1  0.01)  600I1 I1 = -6.67mA

From KVL on the lower left loop

VOC  300(I 2  I1 )  300I 2 VOC = 8V

Next, find Rth . Remove the 1k resistor, reduce all

independent sources to zero, and find the equiva-
lent resistance from x to y.
600
300(600) 300
R th  300 
300  600 x
 500  300 500
y
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The Thevenin equivalent circuit is shown.
500
x
+
8V
-
y

Finally, we return the 1k resistor and find the

voltage VO.
500 x
1000
+
+ VO  8  5.33V
8V Vo 1k 1000  500
- -

y ELCIAN1 - p12
 9V + 600 Example 2:
-
10mA Use Norton’s
300
theorem to find VO.
+
300 1k VO 500
-

First, find ISC. Replace

9V + 600
the 1k resistor with -
a short circuit and 10mA
300
find the current.
ISC 500
ISC can be found using 300
superposition.
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 600
Consider the 10mA source 10mA
acting alone. 300

ISC1 = 10mA 300 ISC1 500

Consider next the 9V

source acting alone.
9V +
600
R eq  300 || 300  150 -
300 +Va
REF
150
Va  9 300 ISC2 500
600  150
which gives
Va
Va=1.8 Volts and ISC 2   6mA
300 ELCIAN1 - p14
Thus, we get
ISC = ISC1 + ISC2
= 16mA
We have previously found Rthto be 500.The
Norton equivalent circuit with the 1k resistor
is shown.
+
16mA 500 VO 1k
-

500(1000)
VO  0.016
500  1000
= 5.33V ELCIAN1 - p15
 Circuits with Dependent Sources Only
20IX
Example 3: +- x
Find the Thevenin
resistance as seen 20 40 20
from xy. IX y
Attach a 1-A current source between terminals
xy and find the voltage across the source.
20IX
+Va + Vb x
+-
+
20 40 20 VS IS=1A
IX -
y
REF ELCIAN1 - p16
 Va Va Vb
KCL at supernode ab yields 1  
20 40 20
The voltage at the dependent source is
Va- Vb = 20Ix
Va
But I x 
40 so we get Va = 2Vb
Solving simultaneously, we have
Va=10 V Vb=5 V

Finally, the Thevenin resistance is

VS Vb 5 V
R th     5
IS IS 1 A
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Example 4: Find the Norton equivalent circuit
between terminals xy.
2 3 x
+
0.5VX 4 2 VX 4.5
— y

We do not have an independent source so ISC=0.

To get the equivalent resistance Rn, attach a

1-V voltage source between terminals xy and
find the current passing through the source.

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The resulting circuit is shown.
2 3 x
+ +
0.5VX 4 2 VX 4.5 Is VS=1V
-
— y

We apply source transformation on the dependent

source.
4 2 +Va 3 x
+ +
2VX + VS= 1V
- 2 VX 4.5 Is
— y -

REF
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From KCL
Va  2 Va Va  1
0  
42 2 3
We get Va  2 Volts
3
We determine IS from KCL Finally, the Norton
resistance is
Is  I3  I 4.5
VS
1  Va 1 Rn 
  IS
3 4. 5 1V
  3
Is  1 A 1 A
3 3
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 Circuits with Independent and Dependent
Sources
Example 5: 10V
400 100
Find current -+
Ix
Ix using vx +
Norton’s 300 vx 200 125
theorem. 400 -

Let us first find ISC. Remove the 125 resistor

and find the short-circuit current.
10V
400 100 10
-+
ISC 
vx + 300  100
300 vx 200 ISC
400 - = 25 mA
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 10V
400 100
We find the -+
open-circuit vx + +
voltage VOC I1 300 I2 vx 200 VOC
400 - -

From mesh 1 we get Vx 200I 2 1

I1    I2
400 400 2
For mesh 2
10  300(I2  I1 )  (100  200)I2
Solving simultaneously, we have
I1=11.11 mA I2= 22.22 mA
And the open-circuit voltage
VOC = 200(22.22)(10-3) = 4.444 V
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We get the equivalent resistance
VOC 4.444 V
R th   177.76 
ISC 0.025 A
The Norton equivalent circuit with the 125
resistor is shown.

25mA 177.76 Ix 125

177.76
I x  0.025
177.76  125
= 14.68 mA
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Problem Solving
 Find the Thevenin and Norton Equivalent circuit below.
Is1
1A

Vs1
5V R1 R3
A 4 6
+

Is2
1.5A

Vs2 R2
5V 5
+

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Problem Solving
 Find the Thevenin and Norton Equivalent circuit below.

R1 R2
10 20

Is1 A B
1A

R3 R4
50 40

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