Kirchhoff’s rules

Definition

Kirchhoff's rules are two principles that deal with the conservation of charge and energy in electrical circuits. They are used to determine the current and voltage in each branch of a circuit.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL) states that the total current entering a junction equals the total current leaving the junction.
2. Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) states that the sum of all voltages around any closed loop in a circuit must equal zero.
3. KCL is based on the conservation of electric charge.
4. KVL is based on the conservation of energy.
5. Kirchhoff's rules can be applied to both DC and AC circuits, but they are most commonly used for analyzing complex DC circuits.

Review Questions

• What does Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL) state and what principle is it based on?
• Explain Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) and its underlying principle.
• How can Kirchhoff's rules be useful in analyzing complex circuits?

Related terms

Ohm's Law:

$V = IR$, which relates voltage ($V$), current ($I$), and resistance ($R$) in an electrical circuit.

Node:

A point in an electrical circuit where two or more components are connected.

Loop: A closed path within a circuit where no node is encountered more than once.