INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (EE)

EE052
PRINCIPLES OF EE1 LAB

LAB 3

Thevenin Theorem

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I. OBJECTIVES
1. To find experimentally the values for a Thévenin's equivalent of a circuit.
2. To check the experimental values versus calculated values.
3. To find the conditions for maximum power delivered to a load.
4. To build a Thévenin equivalent of the original circuit and check to see if it really
is equivalent.

II. INTRODUCTION
1. Thévenin's theorem
a. Given a linear circuit.
 Rearrange it into Network A and Network B.
 If dependent sources exist, the control variable must be in same Network.
b. Define (or calc.) the open circuit voltage, Voc, across the Network A terminals with:
 Network B disconnected.
 IL = 0 (no current drawn from Network A by Network B).
c. "Kill" Network A (make it a "dead" Network) with:
 A Short Circuit replaces all independent Voltage sources.
 An Open Circuit replaces all independent Current sources.
 If dependent sources exist they must be left in the circuit.
 Then calculate Rth for the "dead" Network A (looking back into the
terminals). If the dead network contains dependent sources, then an external
source must be connected between the two terminals to determine the
impedance. Either a current source can be connected and the voltage across
the source determined or a voltage source may be used and the current flowing
from the source calculated. The ratio of the voltage to the current will give the
Thévenin Equivalent impedance.
d. Replace Network A with:
 Independent Voltage source equal to Voc.
 Connected in series with RTh.
e. Draw Thévenin equivalent circuit.

Figure 1

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Isc = Voc/RTh is the current that flows when a short circuit is placed across the terminals.

2. Norton's theorem
a. Given a linear circuit.
 Rearrange it into Network A and Network B.
 If dependent sources exist, the control variable must be in same Network .
b. Define (or calc.) the short circuit current, Isc, through the Network A terminals with
Network B disconnected and replaced with a Short Circuit. This will give, VL = 0,
since no voltage can appear across a short circuit.
c. "Kill" Network A (make it a "dead" Network ) with:
 A Short Circuit replacing all independent Voltage sources.
 An Open Circuit replacing all independent Current sources.

 If dependent sources exist they must be left in the circuit. Then calculate R th
for the "dead" Network A (looking back into the terminals). If the dead
network contains dependent sources, then an external source must be
connected between the two terminals to determine the impedance. Either a
current source can be connected and the voltage across the source determined
or a voltage source may be used and the current flowing from the source
calculated. The ratio of the voltage to the current will give the Thévenin
Equivalent impedance.
d. Replace Network A with:
 An Independent Current source equal to Isc.
 Connected in parallel with Rth.

e. Draw Norton equivalent circuit.

Figure 2
Voc = RThIsc is the voltage between the terminals with no external load connected.

Pre-Lab

Given a circuit as shown in below figure

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(a) (b)
Figure 3

R1 = 1.5 k, R2 = 1.8k, R3 = 1.2 k

1. Calculate Vab in figure 3 (a)

2. Calculate Iab in figure 3 (b)
3. Calculate the equivalent resistance Rab
4. If a resistor RL connect to two terminals a and b. What is the
value of RL so that the power absorbed by RL is maximum

III. EQUIPMENT AND PARTS LIST

 Variable Voltage Supply
 Breadboard
 Digital Multimeter (DMM)
 Fixed Resistors: 1.0 k, 1.2 k, 1.5 k, 2-1.8 k, 2.2 k, 5.6 k
 Variable Resistance: 1 k

IV. PROCEDURES
1. After measuring the actual resistor values, construct the source circuit shown in
Figure 1 using a variable voltage supply, breadboard, resistors, and jumper wires. Set
the supply voltage as close to 15 volts as you can and record the actual value
measured by the DMM.

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Figure 1: Original circuit and variable load.

R1 = 1.5 k, R2 = 1.8k, R3 = 1.2 k

2. Measure the open circuit voltage (VTh=Voc) of network A between terminals a and b.
3. Measure the short circuit current (ISc) of network A from terminal a to terminal b.
4. Calculate the Thévenin Equivalent resistance using these two measured values. Use
Rth = VTh / ISc for this calculations . In the circuit shown below the portion to the
left of terminals a and b is the Thévenin Equivalent of the original circuit and the
portion to the right of the terminals is the load. Analyze the circuit in figure 2 to find,
VL, as a function of RL. Use voltage division to find VL. Then solve for the value of
RL as a function of VL. Use the values found above to calculate the values of load
resistance, RL, that will give each of the following load voltages: VL = 0.7*VTh , VL
= 0.5*VTh , and VL = 0.3*VTh. Note: For VL = 0.7*VTh =VL this gives VL =
0.7*VTh = VTh * RL/(RL + Rth ) or 0.7 = RL/( RL + Rth ). Solve for RL and
repeat for 0.5 and 0.3.

Figure 2: Thevenin equivalent with a variable load attached.

5. Then using a variable resistance (1 KOhm potentiometer) in series with a fixed
resistor of appropriate value for each of these values of RL. Use the closest standard

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resistor less than RL for the fixed resistor. This should give sufficient adjustment
range to get the desired output voltage when the series combination is connected
across the terminals a-b of the original circuit. Adjust the resistance to obtain the
corresponding value of VL . Then measure the actual value of VL and RL (the series
combination of the fixed resistor and the adjustable resistor) for each of the three
specified load voltages.

VL
Approximate VL RL IL = VL /RL
Desired Calculated Measured Measured Calculated
value value
0.7 *VTh 5.7673 5.760 6.016k
0.5 *VTh 4.1195 4.113
0.3 *VTh 2.4717 2.4762

Calculate IL from the measured values of VL and RL and put it into a tabulation similar to the
one shown above.

6. Disconnect Vs from the circuit and replace it with a jumper wire (short circuit). This is
equivalent to Vs = 0. Then measure the Thévenin equivalent resistance (R Th) looking
into this source free version of the original circuit between terminals a and b. This
should be very close to the value calculated by dividing the open circuit voltage by
the short circuit current.

7. Construct a Thévenin equivalent circuit using the values of V Th and RTh obtained in
steps 2 and 6, respectively. Use an appropriate fixed resistor and the potentiometer
and set the series combination to the measured value of R th. Use a variable voltage
supply for VTh, and set it to the measured value of VTh.

Figure 3: Thévenin equivalent with fixed load attached.

Now use the fixed resistors listed below as RL. For each value of RL, measure RL, and VL.
Then calculate IL using the measured value of the load resistor and voltage. Record the data

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in a form similar to the table below.

RL( k) RL( k)

VL(V) IL(mA)
Nominal Measured Measured measured Calculated
0

1.0
1.8
2.2
5.6

open

CALCULATIONS, COMPARISONS & GRAPHS:

1. From the data in step 5 under procedure use a spreadsheet to plot a graph of VL (y
axis) versus IL (x axis) using an open circle as the symbol with no line connecting the
points. Also plot on the same graph the points for (VTh = VOC, IL = 0) and (VL =
0, IL = ISC ) connected with a line. Do the original data points lie on this line?

2. Now on the same graph plot the data from step 7 under the PROCEDURE. Use an
open square box symbol to identify these points, but do not connect the points with a
line. Identify each set of data with a legend at the bottom of the graph.. Is the
Thévenin circuit in Figure 3 equivalent to the original circuit in Figure 1? If so, why
can you make that statement?

3. Next, using the data from step 5 under the PROCEDURE, calculate the power (P)
delivered to RL. On a separate graph plot P (on the y axis) versus R L (on the x axis)
using an open circle for each point with no connecting lines. Add the points from step
7 using an open square box for each point. Do not connect either set of points with a
line. Plot the theoretical power curve from R = 0 to R = 5 k on the same graph
using a step size of 0.1 k so that the line connecting these points with no symbols
will form a smooth curve. At what value of resistance does the power reach a
maximum? Does this make sense? How close are the two sets of experimental points
to the theoretical curve?

4. Calculate VTh, Isc and Rth of circuit in Figure 1 using the measured source and resistor
values and compare them to measured values in steps 2, 3, and 6 of the
PROCEDURE.

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