n a nodal analysis, the variables in the circuit are selected to be the node voltages. The node voltages are defined Wilh respect to a common point in the circuit One node is selected as the reference node, and all other node voltages are defined with respect to that node. Quite often this node is the one to which the largest number of branches are connected. It is com· manly called ground because it is said to be at ground-zero potential, and it sometimes rep-resents the chassis or ground line in a practical circuit. We will select our variables as being positive with respect to the reference node. If one or morc of the node voltages are actually negative with respect to the reference node, the analy-sis will indicate it. In order to understand the value of knowing all the node vohages in a network, we consider once again the network in Fig. 2.32. which is redrawn in Fig. 3.1. The voltages. Vs. Va. Vb. and (., are all measured with respect to the bottom node, which is selected as the reference and labeled with the ground symbol .J... Therefore. the voltage at node I is Vs = 12 V with respect to the reference node 5: the voltage at node 2 is Va = 3 V with respect to the reference node 5, and so on. Now note carefully that once these node voltages are known, we can immediately cal-culale any branch current or the power supplied or absorbed by any element, since we know the voltage across every element in the network. For example. the voltage VI across the leftmost 9-kO resistor is the difference in potential between the two ends of the resistor; that is, ~=VS-Vn = 12 -3 =9V This equation is really nothing more than an application of KVL around the leftmost loop; that is, -Vs + VI + ~I = 0 In a similar manner. we find that and Then the currents in the resistors arc In addition, v" -0 /, = ----6k Vb -0 I,=~ since the reference node 5 is at zero potential.