P a g e |1

5. Kirchoffs Node Method

Christian Paolo Asequia, Arfel Marie Fuentes, Rene Susette Ann Pontillas
KEYWORDS : KVL, KCL, nodes, branches, circuits

ABSTRACT: The aim of the experiment is to measure the nodes in a given diagram and compare the measured
values obtained with the calculated values through the use of Kirchoffs Voltage Law (KVL) analysis. There are 8
resistors that comprise the diagram which consists of nodes to be measured with respect to a ground node. For the
first part, at ground node J, voltage source, E 1 is 9.64 V. Through nodal analysis, the calculated voltages are also
obtained with the same reference ground node; thus giving several percent differences. For the second part of the
experiment, the same steps were executed but with respect of a different ground node C with a voltage source, E 1
value of 9.85V. Objectives were met at the end of the experiment despite the errors committed.

INTRODUCTION
METHODOLOGY
Kirchoff's Circuit Laws are two equalities
that deal with the current and potential difference in
the lumped element model of electrical circuits. There
are two types of Kirchhoffs analysis: Kirchhoffs
Voltage Law (KVL) or the Mesh Current Analysis and
Kirchhoffs Current Law (KCL) or the Nodal Voltage
Analysis. For this experiment, KCL is the main focus.
It states that the current flowing in a junction or node
is equal to the current going out of a node. In other
words, the sum of the currents entering the node must
be zero (if we consider currents leaving the node to be
a negative current entering the node) as presented by
the figure.

The experimenters measured and

recorded the eight (8) resistance values of the
module.Inthefirstpart,thevoltagesourceE 1
was placed between links G and J and the
polaritywasnoted.Thefourothernodevoltages
weremeasuredwithrespecttothegroundnode,
J. Thesecondpartoftheexperimentusedthe
node C as the ground node. Again, E1 was
determined.Theothernodevoltageswithrespect
togroundnodeCwerealsomeasured.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The experiment started with the

determination of the resistance of the eight (8)
resistors present in the module. Data was gathered
andtabulatedintable1.
Table1.ResistanceValues

Figure 1. An example of Circuit with nodes

For the node A in the center, i1 and i2 are
entering the node, and i3 and i4 are leaving the node.
Thus,

or simply,

[1]

Nodal analysis is possible when all the circuit

elements' branch constitutive relations have an entry
representation: reference or ground node and all other
node voltages are measured (positive or negative)
with respect to this node. Kirchhoffs Node method,
maybe applied to networks with more or fewer nodes
and voltage sources. The number of linear
simultaneous equations will always equal the number
of unknown node voltages as shown in this
experiment. [2] The objective of this experiment is to
measure the nodes in the given diagram and compare
the measured values obtained with the calculated
values through KCL analysis.

R1

Resistance
(k)
2.95

R2

3.84

R3

0.99

R4

0.99

R5

1.48

R6

1.97

R7

3.24

R8

2.15

Resistance Number

The first part of the experiment sets node J as the

ground node. The ground node is defined as an
arbitrary reference thus having a zero voltage. It is a
device used in making the calculations more
convenient. A voltage source was placed between
links G and J and its voltage drop was determined to
be E1 = 9.64 V. Then the four other nodes, A, C, F,
and E were measured of the node voltages with
respect to the ground node J using the digital
multimeter and data were tabulated in table 2.

ERROR ANALYSIS
Table2.MeasuredandCalculatedNodeVoltageswithrespect
togroundJ.

Errors contributed greatly in the outcome of

the experiment. Some of
Measured Calculate
these errors may have
To
verify
been caused by the
Voltage
d Voltage
% Difference
Kirchoffs
laws,
equipment that was used.
(V)
(V)
equations were set up to
Despite having a minimal
Vc
4.06
3.83
5.71
have calculated values
percent difference, it is
VD
7.66
6.85
10.64
for the node voltages.
still not a guarantee that
According to Kirchoffs
VE
4.06
3.30
18.76
it is not prone to errors.
Current
Law,
the
Another error that may
VF
4.00
1.28
68.10
algebraic sum of the
have
caused
some
currents entering and leaving any of the node must
deviation in the results is the personal error since it is
equal to zero.
inevitable to have some mistakes in the
experimenters side in performing the experiment
I = 0
causing the results to deviate from its actual value.
Applying this principle in all the nodes, a system
CONCLUSION
of linear equations were created with 4 equations and
4 unknown values. ( Refer to appendix for the
The objective of the experiment is to measure
derivation of equations) Data gathered and tabulated
the
voltages
in each node of a given diagram and
in table 2 were calculated using MS Excel.
comparing it to the calculated values through the use
In the second part, the voltage source was
of KVL and KCL. The experiment used to ground
transferred from nodes J-G to A-C making node C as
nodes for each part and it was determined that here is
the ground node therefore its potential is zero making
a slight difference in the measured value and the
it as an arbitrary reference. The procedure in the first
calculated values of the nodal voltage. It also changes
part was followed. The node voltage on each joint
depending on the voltage source.
was measured and also calculated to have a
comparison and verification of Kirchoffs laws. Data
REFERENCES:
gathered is tabulated in Table 3 with the voltage
source, E1 = 9.85V.
[1]
Table 3.Measuredandcalculatednodevoltagewithrespect
groundnodeC

VD

Measured
Voltage
(V)
5.32

VE

2.27

2.08

8.91

VF

2.27

2.27

0.09

VJ

2.27

2.92

24.97

Calculated
Voltage (V)

% Difference

3.95

29.55

The percentage difference was also calculated for

the data gathered. ( Refer to appendix for the
derivation and calculation ) Determining the nodal
voltage in each node produces 4 systems of equation
and 4 unknowns which was then calculated using MS
Excel.

http://hades.mech.northwestern.edu/index.php/Ki
rchhoff's_Current_and_Voltage_Laws
Date
Accessed: August 1, 2015
[2] ACE05 Laboratory Manual 2015

[3]
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Electronics/Nodal_
Analysis
SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

AtJasground&E1=9.64V
ForNodeD:

I DJ + I DC + I DE =0
3

V D E 1 V D V C V DV E
I FE + I FJ + I FC =0
+
+
=0
V F V E V F V J V F V C
R3
R1
R6
+
+
=0
1
1
1
1
1
E1
R
7
R
4
R
2
VD
+
+
V E
V c
=
R3 R6 R1
R6
R1 R3
1
1
1
1
1
VF
+
+
V E
V c
=0
R7 R4 R2
R7
R2
1
1
1
1
1
9.64
VD
+
+
V E
V c
=
0.99 1.97 2.95
1.97
2.95 0.99
1
1
1
1
1
VF
+
+
V E
V c
=0
(Eqn1)
3.24 0.99 3.84
3.24
3.84

(
(

ForNodeE:

) ( ) ( )
) ( ) ( )

(
(

) ( ) ( )
) ( ) ( )

(Eqn4)

I ED + I EJ + I EC + I EF =0
FromtheEqns1through4anda4x4EquationSolver
Program:
V E V D V E V J V E V C V EV F
+
+
+
=0
V E =3.30 V
R6
R8
R5
R7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1V C =3.83 V
VE
+
+
+
V D
V c
V F V =0
R6 R8 R5 R7
R6
R5
R 7 F =1.28 V
V D =6.85
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 V
VE
+
+
+
V D
V c
V F
=0
1.97 2.15 1.48 3.24
1.97
1.48
3.24

(
(

) ( ) ( ) ( )
) ( ) ( ) ( )

(Eqn2)
ForNodeC:

I CD + I CE +I CF =0
V C V D V C V E V C V F
+
+
=0
R1
R5
R2
1
1
1
1
1
1
VC
+
+
V D
V E
V F
=0
R1 R 5 R2
R1
R5
R2
1
1
1
1
1
1
VC
+
+
V D
V E
V F
=0
2.95 1.48 3.84
2.95
1.48
3.84

(
(

) ( ) ( ) ( )
) ( ) ( ) ( )

(Eqn3)
ForNodeF: