Node (circuits)

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In electrical engineering, a node is any region or joining point on a circuit between two circuit elements. In circuit diagrams, connections are ideal wires with zero resistance. Whether "node" refers to a single point of junction or an entire equipotential region varies by the source.^[1][2]

"Node" is often used, especially in mesh analysis, to mean a principal node, which is distinct from the usage defined above. A principal node is a point in a circuit diagram where three or more connections meet.^[3][4] Principal nodes are important points of consideration in applying Kirchhoff's circuit laws, because conservation of current means current can split or combine at these points.

When clarification is needed, a region connecting only two circuit elements is referred to as a simple node, where there is no branching of current, while a point connecting three or more elements is a principal node.^[5] The full definition uses in this article encompasses both principal and simple nodes.