North South University

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

LAB REPORT

Course Code: EEE141L.

Course Title: Electrical circuits 1 lab.
Course Instructor: Dr. Md. Aynal Haque (Tabia Hossain).
Experiment Number: 05
Experiment Name:
Verification of Superposition Theorem.

Experiment Date: 27-11-2021

Date of Submission: 03-12-2021
Section: 13
Group Number:
Submitted To: Tabia Hossain.
Submitted By Score

Name: Sheaikh Nazibur Rahman.

ID: 2021572642
Objective:
• To verify Superposition Theorem

List of Equipment:
• Breadboard
• DMM
• 1 x 3.3kΩ resistor
• 1 x 4.7kΩ resistor
• 1 x 1KΩ resistor
• Multisim app

Theory:
If a circuit has two or more independent sources, one way to determine the value of
a specific variable (voltage or current) is to use nodal or mesh analysis. Another
way is to determine the contribution of each independent source to the variable and
then add them up. The latter approach is known as the superposition.
The superposition principle states that the voltage across (or current through) an
element in a linear circuit is the algebraic sum of the voltages across (or currents
through) that element due to each independent source acting alone.
The principle of superposition helps us to analyze a linear circuit with more than
one independent source by calculating the contribution of each independent source
separately. However, to apply the superposition principle, we must keep two things
in mind:

1. We consider one independent source at a time while all other independent

sources are turned off. This implies that we replace every voltage source by 0 V (or
a short circuit), and every current source by 0 A (or an open circuit). This way we
obtain a simpler and more manageable circuit.
2. Dependent sources are left intact because they are controlled by circuit
variables.
Steps to apply superposition principle:
1. Turn off all independent sources except one source. Find the output (voltage or
current) due to that active source using nodal or mesh analysis.
2. Repeat step 1 for each of the other independent sources.
3. Find the total contribution by adding algebraically all the contributions due to
the independent sources.

Circuit Diagram:
XMM1

R1 R3
1 2 3
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ

V1 V2
10V R2 5V
1.0kΩ

Circuit 1: (voltage measurement)

R1 R3
1 3
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ
2
XMM1
V1 V2
10V R2 5V
1.0kΩ
4

Circuit 1: (current measurement)

 XMM1

R1 R3
1 2
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ

V1
10V R2
1.0kΩ

Circuit 2: (voltage measurement)

R1 R3
1 2
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ
XMM1
V1
10V R2
1.0kΩ
3

Circuit 2: (current measurement)

 XMM1

R1 R3
2 3
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ

V2
R2 5V
1.0kΩ

Circuit 3: (voltage measurement)

R1 R3
2 3
3.3kΩ 4.7kΩ
XMM1
V2
R2 5V
0
1.0kΩ
4

Circuit 3: (current measurement)

Results/Data/Readings:
Table 1:
I2 I’2 I’’2 I’2+I’’2

2.701mA 1.999mA 701.82uA 1.999mA+0.70182

= 0.70182 mA mA
=2.701mA

Table 2:
VR1 V’R1 V’’R1 V’R2+V’’R2

7.299V 8.001V -701.829mV 8.001V+(-

= -0.7018 V 0.7018V)
=7.299V

Table 3:
VR2 V’R2 V’’R2 V’R2+V’’R2

2.701V 1.999V 701.829mV 1.999V+0.7018 V

= 0.7018 V =2.701V

Table 4:
VR3 V’R3 V’’R3 V’R3+V’’R3

-2.229V 1.999V -4.298 V 1.999V+-4.298 V

=-2.229V
For E1=10V,
RT=R1+ R2||R3
=3.3+1||4.7
=4.124kΩ
I’S= E1/ RT
=10/4.124
= 2.421mA
I’2 = {R3/(R2+R3)}*Is
=4.7/(1+4.7)*2.421
=1.999mA
V’R1=Is*R1
=2.424*3.3
=8.001V
V’R2= I’2*R2
=1.999V
V’R3 ={R3/(R3+R2)}/Is
=4.7/(1+4.7)*2.421
=1.999V

For E2=5V,
RT=R3+ R2||R1
=4.7+0.767
=5.467kΩ
I”S= E2/ RT
=5/5.467
=0.9145mA
I”1={R2/R2+R1}* I”S
=0.2126mA
I”2={R1/R2+R1}* I”S
=0.7018mA
V’’R1=I1*R1
=0.7018V
V’’R2=I2*R2
=0.7018V
V’’R3=IS*R3
=4.298V

For both E1 and E2:

V’R1 +V’’R1 =8.001V+(-0.7018V)
=7.299V
V’R2+V’’R2 =1.999V+0.7018 V
=2.701V

V’R3+V’’R3 =1.999V+-4.298 V
= -2.229V
I’2+ I’’2 =1.999mA+0.70182 mA
=2.701mA
%Error calculation:
VR1 = (7.299V-7.299V)/ 7.299V = 0 =0%
VR2 = (2.701V-2.701V)/ 2.701V= 0 =0%
VR3 = (-2.229V+2.229V)/ -2.229V =0 =0%
I2 =(2.701mA -2.701mA)/ 2.701mA =0 =0%

Questions and Answers:

1.What is Superposition Theorem?

If a circuit has two or more independent sources, one way to determine the value of
a specific variable (voltage or current) is to use nodal or mesh analysis. Another
way is to determine the contribution of each independent source to the variable and
then add them up. The latter approach is known as the superposition

2.Theoretically calculate all values of Table 1 to Table 4. Show all the steps in
details.
- For E1=10V,
RT=R1+ R2||R3
=3.3+1||4.7
=4.124kΩ
I’S= E1/ RT
=10/4.124
= 2.421mA
I’2 = {R3/(R2+R3)}*Is
=4.7/(1+4.7)*2.421
 =1.999mA
V’R1=Is*R1
=2.424*3.3
=8.001V
V’R2= I’2*R2
=1.999V
V’R3 ={R3/(R3+R2)}/Is
=4.7/(1+4.7)*2.421
=1.999V

For E2=5V,
RT=R3+ R2||R1
=4.7+0.767
=5.467kΩ
I”S= E2/ RT
=5/5.467
=0.9145mA
I”1={R2/R2+R1}* I”S
=0.2126mA
I”2={R1/R2+R1}* I”S
=0.7018mA
V’’R1=I1*R1
=0.7018V
V’’R2=I2*R2
=0.7018V
V’’R3=IS*R3
=4.298V

For both E1 and E2:

V’R1 +V’’R1 =8.001V+(-0.7018V)
=7.299V
V’R2+V’’R2 =1.999V+0.7018 V
=2.701V

V’R3+V’’R3 =1.999V+-4.298 V
= -2.229V
I’2+ I’’2 =1.999mA+0.70182 mA
=2.701mA

3. Using measured data show that your circuit followed superposition theorem
V’R1 +V’’R1 =8.001V+(-0.7018V)
=7.299V
= VR1
V’R2+V’’R2 =1.999V+0.7018 V
=2.701V
= VR2

V’R3+V’’R3 =1.999V+-4.298 V
= -2.229V
= VR3
I’2+ I’’2 =1.999mA+0.70182 mA
=2.701mA
= I2
So my circuit followed superposition theorem.

4. Find the % Error between your theoretical and experimental values.

%Error calculation:
VR1 = (7.299V-7.299V)/ 7.299V = 0 =0%
VR2 = (2.701V-2.701V)/ 2.701V= 0 =0%
VR3 = (-2.229V+2.229V)/ -2.229V =0 =0%
I2 =(2.701mA -2.701mA)/ 2.701mA =0 =0%

Discussion:
I learned from this experiment how to verification of superposition theorem.
When a circuit has more than one energy source, the voltage and current will be
the summation of a single energy source. Let a circuit that has two voltage
sources. We can measure the current and voltage of resistors by putting a single
voltage source. First, we must put a voltage source and calculate its resistor’s
current and voltage. Secondly, we must remove the first energy source, add
another voltage source, and measure its resistors’ current and voltage. We can
get the actual current and voltage by adding two current and voltage values. The
superposition theorem will be verified if the summation’s value and practical
values get the same. If we take a larger values then it may give some errors. We
have to be careful in the calculation part for avoiding error.