Circuit Analysis – How Authors Arrived at the Answer

circuit analysismesh-analysis

I am reading the book "Fundamentals of Electric Circuits 6th Ed." by Sadiku and Alexander and one of the practice problems (Practice Problem 3.7) I did not get right. The 4A current source and 3-ohm resistor branch form a supermesh. Hence, I got the following equations:

-24 + 5(i1-i3) + 10(i2-i3) + 20i2 = 0

5(i3-i1) + 5i3 + 10(i3-i2) = 0

i2 + 4 = i1

Solving these simultaneous equations, I have
i1 = 4.8A

i2 = 0.8A

i3 = 1.6A

which are different from the mesh current values that the authors got. How did they arrive at that answer and where did I go wrong?

Practice Problem 3.7

Best Answer

I get the following four equations:

$$\begin{align*} 0\:\text{V}+24\:\text{V}-5\:\Omega\cdot\left(I_1-I_3\right)-V_{4\text{A}}-3\:\Omega\cdot 4\:\text{A}&=0\:\text{A} \\\\ 0\:\text{V}+3\:\Omega\cdot 4\:\text{A}+V_{4\text{A}}-10\:\Omega\cdot\left(I_2-I_3\right)-20\:\Omega\cdot I_2&=0\:\text{A} \\\\ 0\:\text{V}-5\:\Omega\cdot\left(I_3-I_1\right)-5\:\Omega\cdot I_3-10\:\Omega\cdot\left(I_3-I_2\right)&=0\:\text{A} \\\\ I_1-I_2&=4\:\text{A} \end{align*}$$

where \$V_{4\text{A}}\$ is the voltage across the current source.

I used the + sign on the top node and - on the bottom node of the current source. As shown below:

enter image description here

No need for any super- anything.

These solve out (using sympy):

var('i1 i2 i3 v4a')
eq1 = Eq( 0 + 24 - 5*(i1-i3) - v4a - 3*4, 0 )
eq2 = Eq( 0 + 3*4 + v4a - 10*(i2-i3) - 20*i2, 0 )
eq3 = Eq( 0 - 5*(i3-i1) - 5*i3 - 10*(i3-i2), 0 )
eq4 = Eq( i1 - i2, 4 )
solve( [ eq1, eq2, eq3, eq4 ], [ i1, i2, i3, v4a ] )

{i1: 24/5, i2: 4/5, i3: 8/5, v4a: -4}

Check your work against mine to see if you agree. Then check all this against the stated solution.


Toss the textbook into the trash can. And with it, the 8th edition of "Electronic Principles" by Malvino & Bates. And probably dozens of other terrible books on the topic of electronics. I've no idea how they get so bad, but they do. Even after 8 editions! The world is flush with garbage. I'm guessing it has to do, in part, with grad students. But I'm not sure.