What is the relationship between R1 and R5 in a Thevenin's theorem problem?

In summary, the problem involves determining the voltage across R3 in a circuit with an input voltage of 10V and given resistors R1=3Ω, R2=15Ω, R3=10Ω, R4=5Ω, and R5=2Ω. Thevenin's theorem is used to solve the problem, but initial attempts were incorrect due to not considering the load resistor and open circuit correctly. After understanding the correct method, it is found that Rth=(R1+R5)//R2+R4 and Vth=v0(R1+R2+R5)R2. Using these values, the correct answer for the voltage across R3 is found to
  • #1
Potatochip911
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Homework Statement


Determine the voltage across ##R_3## in the following figure assuming an input voltage ##v_0## of 10V is applied across the open terminals.
thev.PNG

Let ##R_1=3\Omega##, ##R_2=15\Omega##, ##R_3=10\Omega##, ##R_4=5\Omega## and ##R_5=2\Omega## and

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution



So I'm trying to use Thevenin's theorem to solve this, I already solved it using basic current/voltage rules and I obtained ##V_{R3}=4V##, if I set ##R_3## as the load resistor I obtain the following circuit:

thev1.png

Now I can't see how to find ##R_{th}## by shorting the voltage source and then combining the resistors, I believe I can just remove ##R_4## in that scenario but then I have ##R_1##, ##R_2## and ##R_3## connected together and I'm not sure which of these two are in parallel (if someone could explain how to go about solving it this way that would be great). Because of this I decided to find ##R_{th}## using ##V_{th}## and the open circuit current, if I short ##R_3## then we have ##R_2##//##R_4## so by a voltage divider we obtain ##I_{sc}=\frac{v_0}{R_1+\frac{R_2R_4}{R_2+R_4}+R_5}##. Now to find the voltage ##V_{th}## we need the voltage across ##R_3##, I would've thought that it would just be ##V_{th}=\frac{V_0}{R_1+R_2+R_5}R_2##. However, this doesn't lead to the correct answer after calculating ##R_{th}## using ##V_{th}=I_{sc}R_{th}## and then building the thevenin equivalent circuit.
 
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  • #2
You can't ignore R4 as it contributes to the Thevenin resistance. After all, it is in series with one of the output terminals.

Removing the load resistor R3 and shorting the voltage supply leaves you with:
upload_2016-4-7_20-24-22.png


What can you say about the relationship between R1 and R5?
 
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  • #3
gneill said:
You can't ignore R4 as it contributes to the Thevenin resistance. After all, it is in series with one of the output terminals.

Removing the load resistor R3 and shorting the voltage supply leaves you with:
View attachment 98762

What can you say about the relationship between R1 and R5?
Yea I thought I understood thevenin's theorem but I clearly didn't. For anyone who stumbles upon this thread and is curious I found this video very helpful. I essentially wasn't looking at stuff from the perspective of where the load is removed before, after taking this into consideration we find that ##R_{th}=(R_1+R_5)//R_2+R_4## which can be be figured out quite easily if you consider a voltage source in place of the open circuit in the image gneill made and consider where the current flows. Now for ##V_{th}## the we need to consider the circuit from the point of view of the input voltage with the open circuit where the resistor was, therefore it becomes a simple series circuit and since we want voltage across ##R_2## we find ##V_{th}=\frac{v_0}{R_1+R_2+R_5}R_2##. building the thevenin circuit using these values and calculating voltage across ##R_3## will give the correct answer of 4V.
 

1. What is Thevenin's Theorem?

Thevenin's Theorem is a fundamental concept in circuit analysis that allows for the simplification of complex circuits into a single equivalent circuit. It states that any linear electrical network can be replaced by an equivalent circuit consisting of a single voltage source in series with a single resistor.

2. How do you calculate the Thevenin voltage?

To calculate the Thevenin voltage, you need to first remove all the load resistors from the circuit and determine the open-circuit voltage between the two points where the load resistors were connected. This open-circuit voltage is the Thevenin voltage.

3. What is the purpose of Thevenin's Theorem?

The purpose of Thevenin's Theorem is to simplify complex circuits into a form that is easier to analyze and understand. It allows for the determination of circuit behavior and performance without having to deal with the complexities of the original circuit.

4. Can Thevenin's Theorem be applied to non-linear circuits?

No, Thevenin's Theorem can only be applied to linear electrical networks. In non-linear circuits, the relationship between voltage and current is not constant, and therefore, the theorem cannot be used.

5. How do you use Thevenin's Theorem to solve circuit problems?

To solve circuit problems using Thevenin's Theorem, you first need to identify the load resistor and remove it from the circuit. Then, you need to determine the Thevenin voltage and resistance of the equivalent circuit. Finally, you can use basic circuit analysis techniques to calculate the current and voltage at any point in the original circuit using the simplified Thevenin equivalent circuit.

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