PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

KIRCHHOFF’S LAW

KIRCHHOFF’S
CURRENT LAW, KCL
The sum of the currents
entering any junction
must equal the sum of
the currents leaving that
junction. (This rule is
often referred to as the
junction rule.)
PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS
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KIRCHHOFF’S VOLTAGE
LAW, KVL
The sum of the potential
differences across all the
elements around any closed
circuit loop must be zero.
(This rule is usually called
the loop rule.)

PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

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APPLYING
KIRCHHOFF’S LAW TO A
CIRCUIT
1. Assign labels and symbols to all the known and unknown quantities.
2. Assign directions to the currents in each part of the circuit. Although the assignment of
current directions is arbitrary, you must stick with your original choices throughout the problem
as you apply Kirchhoff ’s rules.
3. Apply the junction rule to any junction in the circuit. The rule may be applied as many times as a
new current (one not used in a previously found equation) appears in the resulting equation.
4. Apply Kirchhoff’s loop rule to as many loops in the circuit as are needed to solve for the
unknowns. In order to apply this rule, you must correctly identify the change in electric potential
as you cross each element in traversing the closed loop. Watch out for signs!
5. Solve the equations simultaneously for the unknown quantities, using substitution or any other
method familiar to the student.
6. Check your answers by substituting them into the original equations.

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