SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

SUPERPOSITION
THEOREM
Prepared by:
Engr. Mark Daries Q. Sardea
SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
 can be stated as follows:
“In a linear network, if more than one number of sources
(excitation) are acting, the response in a certain branch can
be obtained by superimposing algebraically the responses due
to various sources taking one excitation at a time.”
 The remaining voltage sources (ideal) are considered short
circuited.
 The current sources (ideal) are considered open circuited.
SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
 This theorem can only be applied to linear
networks/circuits.
 A network/circuit is said to be linear when the values
of electrical components do not change when the
voltage or current in the circuit increases.
 Example of linear components in electrical circuits:
resistor, capacitor, inductors and transformers.
SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
 In this method of circuit analysis, each source is
considered one by one.
 The computed currents for each considered
source are then added algebraically to solve for the
current/s that run through each component of the
circuit.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Using Superposition Theorem, solve for the current
through each component of the circuit below.

12V 9V
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
Consider each source one by one then compute for the
current supplied by each source.
Voltage source should be short circuited and any
components directly connected parallel to it must removed.
Current source should be open circuited/removed from the
circuit together with components connected in series with it.
If the internal impedance/resistance of the source is given,
then the source will be replaced by this value
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Considering the 12V source.

9V 12V
12V
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Compute for the current:

 Total Resistance  Total Current

I1’ I2’ 𝑅t = 𝑅1 + 𝑅23 𝑉t 12
−1
1 1 𝐼t = =
12V I3’ 𝑅t = 1 + + 𝑅𝑡 2.2
2 3 𝐼t = 5.4545 A
𝑅t = 2.2 Ω
𝐼t = 𝐼1′ = 5.4545 A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Compute for the current: 𝐼t = 𝐼1′ = 5.4545 A
 By CDR:
𝑅3 3
𝐼2′ = 𝐼t = 5.4545 = 3.2727A
I1’ I2’ 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 2+3
𝑅2 2
12V I3’ 𝐼3 ′ = (𝐼t ) = (5.4545) = 2.1818A
𝑅2 + 𝑅3 2+3
Current For Source A (I’) For Source B (I’’)
I1 5.4545 A
I2 3.2727 A
I3 2.1818 A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Considering the 9V source.

12V 9V 9V
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Compute for the current:

 Total Resistance  Total Current

I1’’ I2’’
𝑅t = 𝑅2 + 𝑅13 𝑉t 9
−1
1 1 𝐼t = =
9V
𝑅t = 2 + + 𝑅𝑡 2.75
I3’’ 1 3 𝐼t = 3.2727 A
𝑅t = 2.75 Ω
𝐼t = 𝐼2′′ = 3.2727 A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Compute for the current: 𝐼t = 𝐼2′′ = 3.2727 A
 By CDR:
𝑅3 3
I1’’ I2’’
𝐼1′′ = 𝐼t = 3.2727 = 2.4545A
𝑅1 + 𝑅3 1+3
𝑅1 1
I3’’ 9V
𝐼3 ′′ = (𝐼t ) = (3.2727) = 0.8182A
𝑅1 + 𝑅3 1+3
Current For Source A (I’) For Source B (I’’)
I1 5.4545 A 2.4545 A
I2 3.2727 A 3.2727 A
I3 2.1818 A 0.8182 A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1

The computed current supplied by each

source are then added to get the true
value of current flowing through each
component.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
Important Note: In this example, we used CDR to compute
for the currents. The direction of the flow of current supplied
by each source may be different, so it is very important that
on this final step, the directions must be taken into account.
If the currents are opposing, subtract. If the directions are the
same, add.This only happens when CDR is used, in other
methods of circuit analysis, the flow of currents are assumed
first so there’s no need to check for the direction of current
on the final step of superposition theorem.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Compute for the current: Current
I1
For Source A (I’)
5.4545 A
For Source B (I’’)
2.4545 A
I2 3.2727 A 3.2727 A
I3 2.1818 A 0.8182 A

I1’ I2’
I1’’ I2’’
𝑰𝟏 = 𝑰′𝟏 − 𝑰′′
𝟏 = 𝟓. 𝟒𝟓𝟒𝟓 − 𝟐. 𝟒𝟓𝟒𝟓 = 𝟑 𝑨
12V 9V
I3’ I3’’
𝑰𝟐 = 𝑰′𝟐 − 𝑰′′
𝟐 = 𝟑. 𝟐𝟕𝟐𝟕 − 𝟑. 𝟐𝟕𝟐𝟕 = 𝟎

𝑰𝟑 = 𝑰′𝟑 + 𝑰′′
𝟑 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟖 + 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟖𝟐 = 𝟑 𝐀
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
 Checking using @ loop 1
𝟏𝟐 − 𝑰𝟏 − 𝟑𝑰𝟑 = 𝟎
KVL and KCL 𝑰𝟏 + 𝟑𝑰𝟑 = 𝟏𝟐 → 𝑬𝒒. 𝟏
Using
Calculator
+ - A - + @ loop 2
𝑰𝟏 = 𝟑𝑨
I1 I2 𝟑𝑰𝟑 + 𝟐𝑰𝟐 − 𝟗 = 𝟎
𝑰𝟐 = 𝟎
+ 𝟐𝑰𝟐 + 𝟑𝑰𝟑 = 𝟗 → 𝑬𝒒. 𝟐
Loop
I3 Loop
9V
𝑰𝟑 = 𝟑𝑨
12V 1 2
- @ Node A
𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐 = 𝑰𝟑
𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐 − 𝑰𝟑 = 𝟎 → 𝑬𝒒. 𝟑
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Using Superposition Theorem, solve for the current
through each component of the circuit below.

12V 2A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 This time let’s use KVL and KCL.
 Assume polarity and current flow
+ - - +
I2 I3

+ +

I1 12V I4 2A

- -
 SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Considering the voltage source.
 Open the current source and remove any component directly
in series with it.
+ - - + + -

I2 I3 I2’

+ + + +
I1’ 12V I4’
I1 12V I4 2A
- - - -
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Compute for the current:
@ loop 1 @ loop 2 @ loop 2
+ -
𝑽𝟏 − 𝟏𝟐 = 𝟎 𝟏𝟐 − 𝑽𝟐 − 𝑽𝟒 = 𝟎 𝟐𝑰′𝟐 + 𝟒𝑰′𝟐 = 𝟏𝟐
I2’ 𝟏𝑰′𝟏 = 𝟏𝟐 𝟔𝑰′𝟐 = 𝟏𝟐
𝟐𝑰′𝟐 + 𝟒𝑰′𝟒 = 𝟏𝟐
+ + 𝑰′𝟏 = 𝟏𝟐 𝑨 𝑰′𝟐 = 𝑰′𝟒 = 𝟐 𝑨
R2 series to R4 (𝑰′𝟐 = 𝑰′𝟒 )
Loop12V Loop I4’
I1’ 1 2
- Current For Source A (I’) For Source B (I’’)
-
I1 12A
I2 2A
I3 0A
I4 2A
 SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Considering the current source.
 Voltage source will be short circuited and any component directly in
parallel to it will be removed.
+ - - +
- + - +
I2 I3 I2’’ I3’’
+ + +

2A I4’’ 2A
I1 12V I4
- - -
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Compute for the current: By examining the circuit
𝑰′′
𝟑 = 𝟐𝑨

A
@ loop 1 Substitute Eq. 1 to Eq. 2
+ - - +
−𝑽𝟐 − 𝑽𝟒 = 𝟎 𝑰′′
𝟐 − 𝑰′′
𝟒 = −𝟐
I2’’ I3’’
−𝟐𝑰′′
𝟐 = 𝟒𝑰′′
𝟒 −𝟐𝑰′′𝟒 − 𝑰′′
𝟒 = −𝟐
+
Loop
2A
𝑰′′ ′′
𝟐 = −𝟐𝑰𝟒 → 𝑬𝒒. 𝟏 𝑰′′
𝟒 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕𝑨
1 I4’’
- @ Node A From Eq. 1
𝑰′′
𝟐 + 𝑰′′
𝟑 = 𝑰 ′′
𝟒 𝑰′′ = −𝟐𝑰′′
𝟐 𝟒
𝑰′′ + 𝟐 = 𝑰′′
𝑰′′
𝟐 𝟒 𝟐 = −𝟐(𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕)
𝑰′′
𝟐 − 𝑰′′
𝟒 = −𝟐 → 𝑬𝒒. 𝟐 𝑰′′
𝟐 = −𝟏. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝑨
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Compute for the current:
Current For Source A (I’) For Source B (I’’) 𝑰𝟏 = 𝑰′𝟏 + 𝑰′′
𝟏 = 𝟏𝟐 + 𝟎 = 𝟏𝟐 𝑨
I1 12A 0A 𝑰𝟐 = 𝑰′𝟐 + 𝑰′′
𝟐 = 𝟐 + −𝟏. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑
I2 2A -1.3333 A = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝐀
I3 0A 2A
2A
𝑰𝟑 = 𝑰′𝟑 + 𝑰′′
𝟑 =𝟎+𝟐=𝟐𝐀
I4 0.6667A
𝑰𝟒 = 𝑰′𝟒 + 𝑰′′
𝟒 = 𝟐 + 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕
= 𝟐. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝐀

Negative(-) values of computed current implies that the initial assumed

direction of that current is incorrect and must be reversed.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Check using Mesh Analysis

12V 2A
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Assume polarity and current flow. Then set mesh current.

+ - - +
I2 I3 By examining the
+ + circuit
ia 𝒊𝒄 = −𝟐𝑨
I1 12V ib I4 ic 2A

- -
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Assume polarity and current flow. Then set mesh current.
@Loop A
+ -
𝟏𝑰𝟏 − 𝟏𝟐 = 𝟎
- +
−𝒊𝒂 = 𝟏𝟐𝑨
I2 I3
𝒊𝒂 = −𝟏𝟐𝑨
+ + @Loop B
I1 ia 12V ib I4 ic 2A
𝟏𝟐 − 𝟐𝑰𝟐 − 𝟒𝑰𝟒 = 𝟎
- -
𝟏𝟐 − 𝟐𝒊𝒃 − 𝟒(𝒊𝒃 − 𝒊𝒄 ) = 𝟎
𝟏𝟐 − 𝟐𝒊𝒃 − 𝟒(𝒊𝒃 − (−𝟐)) = 𝟎
𝟏𝟐 − 𝟐𝒊𝒃 − 𝟒𝒊𝒃 − 𝟖 = 𝟎
𝟔𝒊𝒃 = 𝟒 ; 𝒊𝒃 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝑨
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
 Assume polarity and current flow. Then set mesh current.
𝒊𝒂 = −𝟏𝟐𝑨
+ - - + 𝒊𝒃 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝑨
I2 I3 𝒊𝒄 = −𝟐 𝑨
+ +
𝑰𝟏 = −𝒊𝒂 = − −𝟏𝟐 = 𝟏𝟐 𝑨
I1 ia 12V ib I4 ic 2A
𝑰𝟐 = 𝒊𝒃 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝑨
- -
𝑰𝟑 = −𝒊𝒄 = − −𝟐 = 𝟐 𝑨
𝑰𝟒 = 𝒊𝒃 −𝒊𝒄 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 − −𝟐
= 𝟐. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟕 𝑨