Lab 4

Thvenins Theorem
OBJECTIVES
1. Become aware of an experimental procedure to determine vTh and RTh
2. Validate Thvenins theorem through experimental measurements using two
methods.
3. Validate the maximum power transfer relation for a Thvenin circuit.
EQUIPMENT
Lab kit, Decade Resistor Box, Power supply
THEORY
Through the use of Thvenins theorem, a complex two-terminal, linear, multisource dc
circuit can be replaced by one having a single source and resistor. The Thvenin
equivalent circuit consists of a single dc source referred to as the Thvenin voltage and
a single fixed resistor called the Thvenin resistance. The Thvenin voltage is the opencircuit voltage across the terminal points of the load. The Thvenin resistance can be
calculated using two methods:
Method-1: Determine the Thvenin resistance when all sources deactivated.
Method-2: Determine the Thvenin resistance using the ratio of the Thvenin voltage to
the short circuit current of the load resistance vOC/iSC.
PROCEDURE
Construct the circuit

Part 1: The Theoretical Thvenin Equivalent Circuit

Part 1A Method-1: Thvenin Resistance with Deactivated Sources
a. Remove the load resistor at the terminal points a-b and predict the theoretical
Thvenin resistance (RTh)thy-1 with all sources deactivated.
b. Deactivate all the sources in the circuit and measure the experimental Thvenin
resistance (RTh)expt using a DMM. Compare the predicted and experimental Thvenin
resistances using a percent difference. How do they compare?
Part 1B Method-2: Thvenin Resistance using vOC/iSC
Short-Circuit Current iSC
a. Remove the load resistor at the terminal points a-b and insert a short. Predict the
short circuit current (isc)thy-2 with all sources activated. Show all work!
b. Energize the circuit and measure the short circuit current (isc)expt-2. Compare the
predicted and experimental short circuit current using a percent difference. How do
they compare?

4-1

Open-Circuit Voltage vOC

c. Remove the short between the terminals points a-b and predict the open circuit
voltage vOC = (vTh)thy.
d. Energize the circuit and measure the open circuit voltage (vTh)expt. Compare the
predicted and experimental short circuit current using a percent difference. How do
they compare?
Thvenin Resistance
e. Predict the Thvenin resistance using Method-2: (RTh)thy-2 = (vTh)thy /(isc)thy-2.
Compare the predicted and measured Thvenin resistance using the measured
Thvenin resistance obtained from Part (1Ab). How do they compare?
f. Compare the Thvenin resistances for both methods ((RTh)thy-1 and (RTh)thy-2) how do
they compare? Use sentence concise sentences to explain whether both methods
are equivalent?
Part 2: The Experimental Thvenin Equivalent Circuit
a. Do not break down your circuit. Construct a second circuit on the breadboard the
Thvenin equivalent circuit

where the Thvenin resistance is the measured value obtained in part (1Ab) and the
Thvenin voltage is the measured value obtained in part (2Bd).
b. Measure the current through the load resistor iload in both the original and the
Thvenin equivalent circuits.
c. Compare load resistor currents for both the original and the Thvenin equivalent
circuits using a percent difference. How do they compare?
d. Use short concise sentences to explain whether Thvenins theorem has been
verified?
Part 3: Maximum Power Transfer (Validating the condition RL = RTh)
a. In the original circuit, replace the load resistance with a Decade Resistor box. Note
that the Thvenin resistance is the resistance already on your circuit board.
b. Measure the voltage across the Decade box as the resistance is changed in
increments of 100, starting at 1k and ending at 2k. As the Decade resistance
approaches the Thvenin resistance, reduce the increments to 50.
c. Set up a data table of Rload, vload, and Pload and plot Pload verse Rload.
d. Referring to your plot, what value of Rload resulted in maximum power transfer to the
load resistance? How do the theoretical and measured values compare?
Part 4: The PSpice Thvenin Circuit
a. Use PSpice to find the Thvenin voltage vTh and resistance RTh.
b. To simulate the Thvenin voltage vTh, Capture a circuit when the load resistance is
replaced with a 5G resistor. The voltage across the load will be the open circuit
voltage vOC = vTh. Hint: place the ground at one of the nodes of the load resistance.
c. To simulate the Thvenin resistance RTh, use the relationship RTh = vOC/iSC. Make a
second copy of the above circuit, renumber the parts in the duplicate circuit, and

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replace the load resistance with a short circuit wire. The current through the 15V
source will be the short circuit current iSC.
d. Simulate both two circuits simultaneously on the same page. Calculate RTh using RTh
= vOC/iSC.
e. **To Simulate the Power for the Thvenins circuit do the following:
Define the resistor value as {RL} and call the resistor Rload.
Choose the element PARAM, define a new parameter by creating a new column
and define the RL with any resistor value like 1k
Perform a dc sweep, global parameter RL, set up the rest of the input values.
Careful: do set the initial to zero but 1

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1k
-3.931V
2.2k

1k

a
3k

4.7k

Rload
4.7k

15V
b

5.092mA
20.00V

20V
1k
-31.25V
1k

2.2k

a
4.7k

Open Circuit
5G

3k

15V
b
0V
20V

1k

2.2k

1k

a
4.7k

Short-Circuit
0V

3k

15V
b

21.74mA

thy

expt

20V

%diff

Method-1

vTh

thy

expt

%diff

thy

expt

%diff

RTh

Method-2
RTh

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