Methods of Analysis and Network Theorems

Abstract

An electrical network is a system of interconnected ideal circuit elements which is a model of a physical system or set of actual devices. In the case of resistors, the ideal circuit element of resistance is used to represent the physical resistor in order that analysis of the device may be achieved. Thus the ideal circuit element is a model of the physical device and as such it is a ‘lumped element’ representing a physical device which is usually a distributed system. Hence the resistance of a conductor is quoted as a single figure but the conductor itself may be many kilometres long and the ‘resistance’ will be distributed along its length.