Nortonyhtälöihin

Nortonyhtälöihin is a mathematical concept primarily used in electrical circuit analysis. It is a way to simplify a complex linear electrical circuit into a simpler equivalent circuit. This equivalent circuit consists of a single Norton equivalent current source in parallel with a single Norton equivalent resistance. The Norton equivalent circuit is equivalent to the original circuit in terms of its behavior when viewed from a specific pair of terminals.

To find the Norton equivalent current, one calculates the short-circuit current that flows between the two terminals of interest when the rest of the circuit is connected to them. This is the maximum current that can be delivered by the equivalent source. The Norton equivalent resistance is determined by calculating the equivalent resistance of the circuit viewed from the two terminals with all independent sources turned off (voltage sources short-circuited and current sources open-circuited). The Norton equivalent resistance is often identical to the Thevenin equivalent resistance of the same circuit.

The Norton equivalent circuit is particularly useful when analyzing the behavior of a specific part of a larger circuit, or when the load connected to the terminals is variable. By replacing a complex network with its Norton equivalent, the analysis of the circuit connected to those terminals becomes significantly simpler. This simplification reduces the computational effort required to solve for currents and voltages in the connected components. The concept is named after American electrical engineer Edward Lawry Norton.