What analysis technique is used to determine circuit voltages and currents?

Nodal analysis is a powerful technique used in electrical engineering to determine the voltages at the nodes of a circuit and, consequently, the currents flowing through various components. This method relies on applying Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL), which states that the total current entering a node must equal the total current leaving that node.

In nodal analysis, the circuit is typically simplified by identifying nodes and writing equations based on the currents entering and leaving these nodes. The voltages at the nodes are treated as variables, allowing the engineer to solve for unknown voltages using systems of equations. Once the node voltages are determined, the corresponding branch currents can be easily calculated using Ohm’s law.

Other analysis techniques, such as root locus analysis, frequency response analysis, and transfer function analysis, serve different purposes. Root locus analysis is primarily used for control systems to determine system stability and response as gain varies. Frequency response analysis examines how a circuit responds to different frequency inputs, focusing on the circuit's behavior in the frequency domain. Transfer function analysis is used to describe the relationship between the input and output of a system in the Laplace transform domain but doesn’t directly calculate voltages and currents in a straightforward manner like nodal analysis does.