Find the Thvenin equivalent with respect to the 7k ohm resistor.

Solution
Remove the 7k ohm, since it is not part of the circuit we wish to simplify. Keep the terminals
open since we are finding the Thevenin.

Find Vth, the voltage across the terminals (in this case it is the voltage over the 3k ohm).
Combine the 1k and 2k in parallel.
1k || 2k = (1k*2k) / (1k+2k) = 2M/3k = 2/3k = 667 ohms

Now use a voltage divider to compute Vth across the 3k ohm.

Vth = [3k/(667+3k)] * 5V = 4.1V

Find the Thevenin Resistance by deactivating all sources and computing the total resistance
across the terminals. The voltage sources is shorted, as shown:

Now let's redraw the circuit, bringing the 1k and 2k into a vertical position (but still keeping
them connected the same way electrically).

They are all in parallel, so:

Rth = 1k || 2k || 3k = 1 / (1/1k + 1/2k + 1/3k) = 545 ohms
Note, as a check, the equivalent resistance for parallel resistors is always smaller than the
smallest resistor in the combination. For example, 545 is smaller than 1k.
The final Thevenin equivalent is then:

Find the Norton Equivalent with respect to the 20uF capacitor

Solution
Remove the capacitor, since it is not part of the circuit we wish to simplify.

In order to find the Norton Short-circuit current, short the terminals where the capacitor used to
be, since we are finding the Norton

Now the 2k ohm resistor is shorted-out, so we can eliminate it. Then we'll find the current
through the short. Here are two different ways to solve for the current:

Mesh-Current Solution for Isc

Mesh-current analysis to find the current through the short.

Notice that all the mesh currents were drawn counter-clockwise. I3 is the current we are
particularly interested in. Here are the mesh current equations:
KVL for i1:
12k*i1 -1k*i4 -12 = 0
KVL for i2:
-15 + 4k*i2 - 4k*i3 = 0
KVL for i3:
-4k*i2 + 10k*i3 -6k*i4 + 12 = 0
KVL for i4: We have trouble writing the voltage over the current source, so we either must add
another variable, or simply write:
i4 = 20mA
Now solve the system of equations.
Solving the second equation for i2, we get:
i2 = (15 + 4k*i3) / 4k

Now rewrite equation 3, plugging in our formulas for i2 and i4:

-4k*(15 + 4k*i3)/4k + 10k*i3 - 6k*20mA + 12 = 0
Solve for i3:
-15 - 4k*i3 + 10k*i3 -120 + 12 = 0
i3 = 123/6k = 20.5mA

Superposition Solution for Isc

Superposition analysis to find the current through the short means we solve several simpler
circuits (one for each source. Since there are three sources, we have three simpler circuits to
solve.

In each of these circuits, all sources but one have been deactivated (voltage sources are shorted,
current sources are opened). Our total answer is the sum of the answers we get from each of the
circuits:
Isc = Isc15 + Isc12 + Isc20

First, let's combine the 8k, 3k, and 1k in series:

R = 8k + 3k + 1k = 12k
and also drop the 5k, since no current can flow through it.

The 12k is shorted out by the horizontal wire, so it can be removed.

Now we can see that the current through the 6k ohm resistor will be the current Isc. Thus,
Isc15 = 15V/6k = 2.5mA

That's not the final answer though! We have to find the other two parts of Isc.

The 5k ohm is again left hanging, so we can remove it. The 8k, 3k, and 1k can be combined in
series (12k). The 4k ohm is shorted out, so it can be removed.

Isc12 = -12V/6k = -2mA

We can remove the 4k and 6k since they are both shorted out. We can also combine the 8k and 3k
in series (11k).

Isc20 = 20mA

Now we add the three sub-answers together to get our final answer:
Isc = Isc15 + Isc12 + Isc20
= 2.5mA - 2mA + 20mA
= 20.5 mA
Now find the Norton resistance (same as Thevenin resistance). First, open the terminals where
the capacitor used to be:

Now deactivate all sources (short voltage sources, open current sources):

The 4k ohm is shorted out, so it can be removed, and the 5k cannot have any current through it,
so it can also be removed.

We can combine the 8k, 3k, and 1k in series.

However, the 12k combination is shorted out by the wire, so it can be eliminated.

Now let's redraw the circuit:

The resistors are in parallel, so the total resistance seen by the capacitor is
Rth = 6k || 2k = 6k*2k/(6k+2k) = 12M/8k = 1.5k ohms

Thus the final Norton is shown below:

Pspice Simulation

Find the Thvenin equivalent with respect to the capacitor in the circuit shown. Then replace the
capacitor with a resistor chosen for maximum power transfer. What is the value of the resistor?
What is the power absorbed by
this resistor?

Solution

The Thevenin equivalent has two

parts, Vth and Rth. We will do the
easier one first -- Rth. To find the
Thevenin resistance, deactivate all
sources (short voltages and open currents). Since we are finding the Thevenin with respect to the
capacitor, we also take the cap out of the circuit and consider the resistance seen from the
terminals where the cap was.

The 3K and 1K are in series, but then that combination is shorted out by the wire that replaced
the voltage source. Another way to think about it is that we have 1K+3K =4K, and then 4K || 0 =
0. That is, a 0 ohm resistor in parallel with anything else is still 0. Thus we have:

Redrawing it slightly (but maintaining the same connections):

We now see the 4K is in parallel to the 5K, so

Rth = 4K || 5K = 4K*5K/(4K+5K) = 2.22K ohms
Now we must find Vth. For this, we must find the open circuit voltage at the terminals:

Note that there is 2V across the 4K and 5K in series. It does not matter that the 2V is also across
the 3K and 1K in series. We will use a voltage divider for the 4K and 5K in series with a know
total voltage of 2V:
Vth = 5K/(4K+5K)*2V = 1.11V
So the final Thevenin equivalent is:

The Norton could be found directly by computing Rth in the same way and finding Isc by
shoring the terminals and computing the current. Now that we have the Thevenin, we can also
find the Norton simply by Ohm's law: Isc = Vth/Rth = 1.11V/2.22Kohm = 0.5mA. The Norton is
then:

Find the Thvenin equivalent with respect to the capacitor in the circuit shown. Then
replace the capacitor with a resistor chosen for maximum power transfer. What is
the value of the resistor? What is the power absorbed by this resistor?

Solution

Since we are finding the Thevenin with respect to the capacitor, we also take the cap out of the
circuit and consider the resistance seen from the terminals where the cap was.

The Thevenin equivalent has two parts, Vth and Rth. We will do the easier one first -- Rth. To
find the Thevenin resistance, deactivate all sources (short voltages and open currents).

From the point of view of the capacitor terminals, the 1K and 2K are shorted out. The 7K also is
not included because no current can flow through it. If current was fed into the top terminal, it
would flow through the 4K and 5K and then come back through the other terminal. Thus
Rth = 4K || 5K = (4K*5K)/(4K+5K) = 2.2K ohms
Next, we'll find Vth using node-voltage analysis, with one node (the bottom wire is the reference
node).

Writing KCL at the node V1 (current leaving):

Solve for V by multiplying through by 20K:

5V - 15 + 4V - 120 = 0
9V = 135
V = 135/9 = 15V
So the final Thevenin Equivalent is:

Find the Thvenin equivalent circuit with respect to the capacitor. You must use superposition to
find Vth
Solution

Since we are finding the Thevenin with respect to the capacitor, we also take the cap out of the
circuit and consider the resistance seen from the terminals where the cap was.

The Thevenin equivalent has two parts, Vth and Rth. We will do the easier one first -- Rth. To
find the Thevenin resistance, deactivate all sources (make their value 0).

Voltage sources of value 0 can be modeled as shorts. Current sources of value 0 can be modeled
as opens.

If current was fed into the top terminal, it would split left and right. The current going left would
flow through the 4K (skipping the 1K and 2K because they are shorted out), then split again
through the 8K and 9K. The current going right would flow through the 5K (skipping the 7k
because of the open).
Rth = 5K || (4K + 8K || 9K) = 3.1K ohms

Next, we'll find Vth using superposition. There are three sources, so we'll have three
subproblems to solve. The total Vth can be found as the sum of the individual effects:

Subproblem 1
Vth due to the 3V can be found with this circuit:

Use a voltage divider to find Vth:

Vth = 5K/(4K + 5K + 8K||9K) * 3V = 1.13V

Subproblem 2
Vth due to the 10V can be found with this circuit:

We can find the voltage across the 8K (on our way to finding the voltage across the terminals) by
combining the 4K and 5K in series and that in parallel with the 8K:
Req = (5K+4K)||8K = 4.24K
V1 across Req can be found by a voltage divider:
V1 = Req/(Req+9K)*10V = 3.20V
Then the voltage over the 5K (which is also the voltage over the terminals) is another voltage
divider on the 3.2V:
Vth = 5K/(4K+5K)*3.2 = 1.78V

Subproblem 3
Vth due to the 6mA can be found with this circuit:

Now combine the 8K and 9K in parallel and that in series with the 4K:
Req = 4K + 8K||9K = 8.24K
Use a current divider to find the current through the 5K branch:
I = Req / (Req + 5K)*6mA = 3.73mA

Use Ohm's law to find the voltage over the 5K:

Vth = 3.73mA * 5K = 18.67V
Now add up the subanswers to get the total Vth:
Vth = 1.13 + 1.78 + 18.67 = 21.58V
The Thevenin equivalent circuit is then:

Find the Norton Equivalent with respect to the 3 Kohm resistor in the middle of the
circuit, i.e., the 3 Kohm resistor itself should not be part of the equivalent that you
compute.

Solution

Since we are finding the Norton with respect to the 3 Kohm, we take the 3 Kohm out of the
circuit and consider the resistance seen from the terminals where the 3K was.

The circuit to the left of the 3K is already a Norton equivalent, where the Norton current is -10
mA (because it is facing down). The resistance is infinite. That is, when you open the current
source to deactivate it, the 1K and 2K are left disconnected.
The circuit to the right of the 3K is already a Thevenin, where the voltage is 6V and the
equivalent resistance is 9 Kohms. Converting to a Norton, we get Norton current of 0.667 mA
and a resistance of 9 Kohms.
Now combine the two Nortons. The total curent will be -10mA + 0.667mA = -9.33 mA. The total
resistance is infinite in parallel with 9K, which is simply 9K.

Find the Thvenin equivalent with respect to the 1nF capacitor. You must use superposition to find Vth, the Thvenin voltage.

Solution
A Thvenin equivalent is a circuit, like the one shown here.

It has two parts, Vth and Rth. We'll find them each below. First, let's remove the capacitor, since
we are finding the equivalent with respect to the capacitor (and thus it is not included in the

circuit we are reducing). Since we are finding the Thvenin, we leave a gap (an open) because
we will be finding the open-circuit voltage for Vth.
The terminals shown in the circuit below are the connections from the removed capacitor to the
rest of the circuit (sliding the 600K resistor to the left a bit, but keeping its electrical connections
the same).

Find Vth
The question requires that we use superposition to find Vth. There are two sources
in the circuit, so we will have a reduced circuit for each source (with all other
sources deactivated). The total Vth will be the sum (super-imposing) of the two
subcircuit answers:
Vtotal = V35uA + V40V

V35uA = Vth due to 35 microamp source

We deactivate the 40V source by shorting it. The resulting circuit is:

The current source of 35uA

will flow down through the 300K, then split between two branches: (a) the 400K and
(b) the 1M and 600K in series. These two branches (a) and (b) are in parallel
because they are connected electrically at the head (where the 400K, and 1M are
conected) and the tail (where the 400K and 600K are connected). We can use a
current divider to find how much of the 35uA goes down the (b) branch:

Now we can use the 7uA in branch (b) to find

the voltage across the 600K (which is also the open-circuit voltage across the
terminals of the capacitor). Using Ohm's law, we get:
V35uA = 7uA * 600K = 4.2V
Note that the voltage has polarity with the "+" at the bottom of the 600K and the "-"
at the top of the 600K, because the current must flow in the "+" terminal for the
passive sign convention.

V40V Vth due to 40V source

We deactivate the 35uA source by opening it. The resulting circuit is:

In this reduced circuit, the 300K

is not connected on the left side, so we can safely ignore it. The 40V source now
forms two independent voltage divider circuits:

Above it: the series combination of the 200K and then the combined parallel
500K and 700K

Below it: the series combination of the 400K, 1M, and 600K

These are independent, just like mountain climbers climbing up to the 40 thousand
foot peak of Mt. Himalaya on the north face and another group of climbrs on the
south face. The fraction of the total height for one group has no effect on the other
group. So we will use a voltage divider just for the combination of 400K, 1M, and
600K, which goes across the entire voltage (height of the mountain) of 40V. The
voltage across just the 600K (which is also the open circuit voltage across the

capacitor) is:
Notice that the 12V has polarity with
the "+" at the bottom of the 600K and the "-" at the top of the 600K, because the
voltage is higher at the "+" side of the voltage source and lower at the "-" side of
the voltage source (where the "-" of the voltage source is at the top of the 600K).
Vtotal by Superposition
Using the answers to the subcircuits above, we now have:
Vtotal = V35uA + V40V
We computed the voltage in each subcircuit with the "+" at the bottom of the 600K

and the "-" at the top of the 600K, so we can add them directly now.
Vtotal = 4.2V + 12V
Vtotal = 16.2V

Find Rth
To find Rth, we deactivate all the sources, so open the current source and short the
voltage source. The resulting circuit is:

The 500K is in parallel with the 700K and that combination is in series with the 200K. However,
that entire combination is shorted out by the wire where the 40V source used to be. So with
respect to the capacitor, if current would flow from the capacitor into the top terminal, it would
completely bypass those three resistors.
Current flowing from the capacitor into the top terminal would thus split down through the 400K
and the 600K. The fraction of current through the 400K would then be forced to also go through
the 1M, so the 400K and 1M are in series, and then that combination is in parallel with the 600K.

Rth
Rth
Rth
Rth

=
=
=
=

600K || (400K + 1M)

600K || 1.4M
(600K * 1.4M) / (600K + 1.4M)
420K

Draw Circuit
The final equivalent circuit is then: