PRACTICE EXERCISE 4

THEVENIN THEOREM
NAME: Joseph C. Rodelas_____________________SECTION: Copernicus___________DATE: 9/27/15___________

PROBLEM 1: (10 pts)

Calculate the voltage drop across the load resistor, and the current through the load resistor, for the following load
resistance values in this circuit.

Rload

Vload

Iload

9.99 V
0.01 A
1000
9.99 V
0.005 A
2000
10 V
0.002 A
5000
10
V
0.001 A
8000
10 V
0.001 A
10,000
Do the boxed component behave more like a voltage source or a current source? Explain your answer.
Answer: The boxed component is more of a voltage source because the voltages across the Rload is always constant.
PROBLEM NO. 2 (10 pts)
Calculate the voltage drop across the load resistor, and the current through the load resistor, for the following load
resistance values in this circuit.

Rload

Vload

Iload

6.7 V
0.0067 A
1000
13
V
0.0067 A
2000
33 V
0.0066 A
5000
53 V
0.0066 A
8000
66 V
0.0066 A
10,000
Do the boxed component behave more like a voltage source or a current source? Explain your answer.
Answer: The boxed component is more of a current source because the voltages across the Rload is always constant.

PROBLEM 3: (10 pts)

Suppose you were handed a black box with two metal terminals on one side, for attaching electrical connections (such
as load resistor). Inside this box, you were told, was a voltage source connected in series with a resistance.

Your task was to experimentally determine the values of the voltage source and the resistor inside the box, and you did
just that. From your experimental data you then sketched a circuit with the following component values:

However, you later discovered that you had been tricked. Instead of containing a single voltage source and a single
resistance, the circuit inside the box actually looked like this:

Demonstrate that these two different circuits are indistinguishable from the perspective of the two metal terminals, and
explain what general principle this equivalence represents.
Solution:
Denote the first circuit be Circuit A, and the above circuit be Circuit B.
It follows that Circuit A is the Thevenin equivalent of Circuit B.
To prove that they are one and the same, we compute for the V TH and RTH of (B) and see if it equals the values found in
(A).
a. Let a be the name of resistor above the diagonal, b be the one below and c be the diagonally-connected one.
In a glance, it is evident that every resistor inside (B) are in parallel due to the presence of common junction points
between each resistor. From the perspective of the two metal terminals, it follows that V TH is equivalent to the voltage
across resistor b, which can be found by the following computation.
Take note that resistors b and c are in parallel with each other and their combination is in series with a. Therefore the
effective resistance of the circuit is 15 k and the total I be 0.001 A. Since our VTH is equal to the voltage across b, therefore
we just need to find the voltage across the combined resistors b and c since they are in parallel, which is equal to IRBC.
IRBC = 0.001 A (5 k) = 5 V = VTH.
b. For our RTH it can be found by replacing the battery with a short and computing for the circuits effective resistance. In
this case, it is equal to [10k*(10k*10k)/(10k+10k)]/ [10k+(10k*10k)/(10k+10k)] = 3.33 kilo ohms (approx. to 2 dec. places)
because when the source is replaced with a short, all resistors become parallel in connection.
It now suffices to show that these two circuits are equivalent in the perspective of the metal terminals.
This shows that any circuit can be transformed into its equivalent Thevenin circuit.
PROBLEM 3: (5pts)
Give a step-by-step procedure for reducing the circuit shown below to a Thevenin equivalent circuit (one voltage
source in series with one resistor). Give the values of the Thevenin voltage and the Thevenin resistance.

Solution to PROBLEM 3:
* We need not assume any value for the Rload to transform this into an equivalent Thevenin circuit but in this case, we will
make an arbitrary assumption that it equals 5 k in order to verify our transformed circuit.
Steps:
1. For easy analysis, I will label the resistors as follows (although optional):
1 k resistor (left) : Resistor A
1 k resistor (right): Resistor B
5 k resistor
: Resistor C
2.2 k resistor
: Resistor D
Rload = 5 k
2. Analysis of the circuit gives us the hint that voltage across the Rload should be equal to the voltage across C. This also
equals the VTH
VC = Vload = [30 / (1 k + 5 k + 2.2 k)] * 5 k = 18.29 V = VTH.
3. For finding the RTH of our circuit, simply replace the voltage source with a short and compute for the effective
resistance. (Reminder: A short has almost negligible resistance, so for computational purposes it has zero resistance.)
RTH = 1 k + { [ 5 k * ( 1 k + 0 k + 2.2 k) ] / [ 5 k + ( 1 k + 0 k + 2.2 k) ] } = 2951.22 k (approx.)
4. Now we construct an equivalent Thevenin circuit with the arbitrary Rload attached as well as the VTH and the RTH.
5. To verify if our circuit is correct, we find the current across Rload and see if it matches the result when we use the original
circuit.
*Computation by the Thevenin circuit
Iload = VTH / (Rload + RTH) = 18.29 V / (5 k + 2951.22 ) = 0.0023 A
*Computation by the original circuit
Req = 5927.27 , I = 0.0051 A , voltage across the combination of C,B,and Rload = 13.80 V , current through the
combination of B and Rload = 0.0023 A = Iload
PROBLEM 4: (5 pts)
Give the Thevenin equivalent circuit of the resistive network shown below. Show your COMPLETE solution.
Solution:
Sketching later. Solve now.
To convert the above circuit into a Thevenin one, we must consider finding the
VTH and the RTH of the circuit.
* We need first to understand the nature of the resistors connections.
- The connection between the 1k and 2k resistors are parallel since they share
the same junction point.
- The 2k and 400 resistors are connected in series.
- The combination of the (2k+400) || 1k resistors to the 300 resistor is in series.
From the above circuit, we deduce that VTH should be equal to the voltage across the terminal points, i.e., voltage
across the 2k resistor.
Req = 300 + [ (1k * 2.4 k) / (1k + 2.4 k) ] = 1005 . 88
I = 0.015 A
VTH = {0.015 A * [(1000*2400)/(3400)] / 2400 } * 2000 = 8.82 V
RTH = [ (300*1000/1300) + 400 ] * 2000 / [ (300*1000/1300) + 400 + 2000 ] = 479.53

PROBLEM 5: (42 pts)

Consider the bridge circuit shown below.

Using Thevenins theorem, let us calculate the voltage across the 2.2 k resistor. Consider the 2.2-k resistor as the
load resistor.
SOLUTION:
The circuit shown above can be re-drawn as shown

In order to determine the value of the Thevenin voltage, VTH, we disconnect RLOAD and we compute for the voltage
across the open terminals.

Q1: How is R1 connected to R4? Answer: R1 and R4 are connected in series!

Q2: What is the equivalent resistance of R1 and R4 (R14)? 3.7 k
Q3: How is R14 connected to R2? R14 and R2 are connected in parallel!
Q4: What is the equivalent resistance of R14 and R2 (R124) 1.7 k
Q5: How is R124 connected to R3? R124 and R3 are connected in series!
Q6: What is the equivalent resistance of R124 and R3 (Req) ? 3.2 k
Q7: What is the current through the battery? (the total current, I) 0.0028 A

Q8: What is the current through R124? Voltage across R124? 0.0028 A , 4.76 V
Q9: What is the current through R3? Voltage across R3? 0.0028 A , 4.2 V
Q11: What is the voltage across R2? Current through R2? 4.76 V , 0.0014 A
Q12: What is the voltage across R14? Current through R14? 4.76 V , 0.0012 A
Q13: What is the current through R1? Voltage across R1? 0.0012 A , 1.2 V
Q14: What is the current through R4? Voltage across R4? 0.0012 A , 2.7 V
Q15: Which of the terminals (A or B) has the higher potential? Terminal B
Q16: What is the voltage across A and B (Hint: the voltage across A and B is equal to V V1 )? This is the
Thevenin voltage, VTH. 7.8 V
In order to determine the value of the Thevenin resistance, RTH, we replace the voltage source with a short as shown in
the figure below.

Q1: How is R2 connected to R3? Compute for the equivalent resistance of R2 and R3.Series connection, 4.8 k*
Q2: How is R23 connected to R4? Compute for the equivalent resistance of R23 and R4. Parallel, 1728 *
Q3: How is R234 connected to R1? Compute for the equivalent resistance of R234 and R1. Series, 2728 *
Q4: The Thevenin resistance is the equivalent resistance of the network of resistors as seen from terminals A and
B. What is the value of the Thevenin resistance? 2728 *
To determine the current through, and the voltage across, the 2.2 k resistor, we connect the 2.2k resistor across the
open terminals A and B as shown

Q1: What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? 4928 *

Q2: Compute for the total current. What is the current through the load? 0.0016 A*
Q3: Compute for the voltage across the load. 3.48 V* (asterisked items means not sure answers)