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How would you go about simplifying this circuit down to a single resistor? It’s Learning assesment E2.23 in "Basic engineering circuit analysis (Ed. 10 & 11)"

I have found out, that the current dosent just go down the path without the resistor, since it splits. But I don’t have an idea for how to simplify it, due to way the resistors are placed. I guess the 10k and 4k resistors arent in series?

The circuit

Attempted solution (current source removed): Attempted solution

V_0 using previously attempted solution: enter image description here

I get a voltage of 58.87V and it should be 60V

Edit: So this is my attempt at a redraw and I think I have gotten all the nodes right, im a little unsure about node "D", since R3 isnt connected in the same manner as the original circuit enter image description here

EDIT: For the sake of completion, here is my complete simplification, with huge help from @Niel_UK Full simplification From @Niel_UK enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome! What have you tried so far? Can you draw it in another way you are more familiar with, or just a part of the circuit. \$\endgroup\$
    – winny
    Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 17:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ I have tried to combine the 12k and 6k resistors as parallel resistors, but from there I dont know what else to do. I think, that it isnt possible to combine the new parallel resistor and the 10k resistor, since the current source is between them. I guess I could redraw it with the middle part to the left, and then combine the 4k and 12k as parallel? \$\endgroup\$
    – Bertram
    Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 17:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ I’m voting to close this question because homework needs an attempt at a solution \$\endgroup\$
    – Voltage Spike
    Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 17:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ (Question re-opened after OP added their own attempt.) \$\endgroup\$
    – SamGibson
    Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 18:26
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    \$\begingroup\$ A good start. But try to keep those top and bottom bus lines straight. Do you see that C and D are the same node. Remember the connectivity of a 'dot' is the same as a 'line'. They both mean connection, a single node. The original question used long lines to confuse you. Try to keep those lines straight to avoid confusion. Move node D up so it's on the same top line as C. Then you'll find that R1, R4 and R5 are all in parallel, and R3 is directly across the current source. They were all along of course. But redrawing them this way makes it more obvious. \$\endgroup\$
    – Neil_UK
    Commented Apr 11, 2022 at 20:25

1 Answer 1

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At the moment, you have a network of devices, with a random node drawn at the top, and another random node drawn at the bottom, with the current source hanging across the middle. It's drawn to confuse.

Letter all the nodes, so you don't drop any in the redrawing.

First put in your current source, and draw a bus line across the top, and the bottom, like this. I've started by putting in the 6k resistor.

schematic

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

Now draw in all the remaining components. You should find it pretty much solves itself, just for being redrawn.

Often a circuit that looks complicated is much tidier from a different view.

The whole point of a schematic is that it tells a story. The shape of the story that engineers like to see is positive at the top, negative at the bottom, current flowing down the page.

Edit following the OP's good attempt

I apologise for not having mentioned reference designators at the outset of my answer, especially as two of the resistors have the same value. Fortunately the OP was smart enough to put them in to his schematics.

Redrawing the OP's redrawing. C and D are the same node, so we need to move the D line up to C, and flip R1 and R5 round. Now it's clearly obvious which resistors are to be grouped and how they should be grouped.

schematic

simulate this circuit

The benefit of 'positive at the top, negative at the bottom' is most shown when we make the natural extension to 'decreasing voltage down the page', and 'equipotientals across the page'. It naturally places resistors that should be paralleled in parallel, and similarly for series.

On reflection, there is a more systematic way to do this redrawing. Starting with the original drawing, identify the nodes by colouring them in, like this. Remember a node is not just a dot, it's also a line or wire between dots. All of the node is at the same voltage. If you're going into a paper-based exam, I would strongly recommend taking in some old technology like coloured pencils.

enter image description here

It's apparent now that there are only three nodes, and two of them belong to the current source, leaving just one additional node at an intermediate potential. It's also very easy to compare the original and redrawn circuits for equivalence. C and D are red, A is blue, B is yellow.

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    \$\begingroup\$ The 10k and 6k+12k+4k are in series, because the 10k is connected to the blue node? If the 10k resistor was connected to the red node (perhaps if there werent the 4k (V_0) resistor), it would be in series with the other three? \$\endgroup\$
    – Bertram
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 13:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Bertram Colouring in the nodes is mainly to help you make the redraw without error to get to my second diagram. From that it's clear that R1,4,5 are parallel, which are then in series with R2, which whole lot is now in parallel with R3. Just checked on a calculator and yes, that all comes to 3k, for the -60 V answer. I wouldn't try to figure out which resistors are series and parallel from the coloured schematic, I'm not clever enough, I'm sure I'd make a mistake. But from the redraw, it's obvious. \$\endgroup\$
    – Neil_UK
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 13:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ I see now. Thank you so much! \$\endgroup\$
    – Bertram
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 13:48

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