Week 4, Thevenin Equivalents

Week 4, Thevenin Equivalents

Summary: To compare the output of a linear circuit and its Thevenin equivalent circuit.
1. Build the Thevenin equivalent circuit and measure the voltage cross the terminals of a load resistor.
2. Build the original linear circuit and measure the same voltage. Also, change the load with a factor of R(Th) and verify the load.

The schematic of the original circuit.

The schematic of the Thevenin equivalent circuit.

Calculate the theoretical open circuit voltage, expected voltage with  minimum load(8 V), V(TH), R(TH), for devising the equivalent circuit and comparing the measured values and theoretical values.

Set up the Thevenin equivalent circuit and measure voltage with different load.

Set up the original circuit and do the same measurement. Calculate the power of different load.

Notes:
1. Comparing the Thevenin equivalent circuit and the original circuit, both the open circuit voltage and the voltage with load are very closed, indicating that they are actually equivalent.
2. When R(L)=R(TH), the power of the load is maximum. The result from the last chart agrees this theorem.