Superposition
In this method, the effect of each generator in turn is calculated. All the generators other than the one being considered are removed; either short-circuited in the case of voltage generators, or open circuited in the case of current generators. The total current through, or the total voltage across, a particular branch is then calculated by summing all the individual currents or voltages.
There is an underlying assumption to this method that the total current or voltage is a linear superposition of its parts. The method cannot, therefore, be used if non-linear components are present. Note that mesh analysis and node analysis also implicitly use superposition so these too, are only applicable to linear circuits. Superposition cannot be used to find total power consumed by elements even in linear circuits. Power varies according to the square of total voltage (or current) and the square of the sum is not generally equal to sum of the squares.
Read more about this topic: Network Analysis (electrical Circuits)