KIRCHHOFF CURRENT LAW

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES

IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

CHARGE CANNOT BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED

NODES, BRANCHES, LOOPS

A NODE CONNECTS SEVERAL COMPONENTS.

BUT IT DOES NOT HOLD ANY CHARGE.
TOTAL CURRENT FLOWING INTO THE NODE
MUST BE EQUAL TO TOTAL CURRENT OUT
OF THE NODE
(A CONSERVATION OF CHARGE PRINCIPLE)

NODE: point where two, or more, elements

are j
joined
i d (
(e.g., big
bi node
d 1)
LOOP: A closed path that never goes
twice over a node (e.g., the blue line)
The red path is NOT a loop
BRANCH: Component connected between two
nodes (e.g., component R4)

NODE

KIRCHHOFF CURRENT LAW (KCL)

SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING INTO A NODE IS
EQUAL TO SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING OUT OF
THE NODE

5A

5A

A current flowing into a node

is equivalent to the negative
flowing out of the node
ALGEBRAIC SUM OF CURRENT (FLOWING) OUT OF
A NODE IS ZERO
ALGEBRAIC SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING INTO A
NODE IS ZERO

A node is a point of connection of two or more circuit elements.

It may be stretched out or compressed for visual purposes
But it is still a node

A GENERALIZED NODE IS ANY PART OF A

CIRCUIT WHERE THERE IS NO ACCUMULATION
OF CHARGE
... OR WE CAN MAKE SUPERNODES BY
AGGREGATING NODES

Leaving 2 : i1 + i6 i4 = 0
Leaving 3 : i2 + i4 i5 + i7 = 0
Adding 2 & 3 : i1 i2 i5 + i6 + i7 = 0
INTERPRETATION: SUM OF CURRENTS LEAVING
NODES 2&3 IS ZERO
VISUALIZATION: WE CAN ENCLOSE NODES 2&3
INSIDE A SURFACE THAT IS VIEWED AS A
GENERALIZED NODE (OR SUPERNODE)

PROBLEM SOLVING HINT: KCL CAN BE USED

TO FIND A MISSING CURRENT
SUM OF CURRENTS INTO
NODE IS ZERO

b
IX = ?

5A

WRITE ALL KCL EQUATIONS

5 A + I X + ( 3 A) = 0
I X = 2 A

a
Which way are charges
flowing on branch a-b?

3A
d

...AND PRACTICE NOTATION CONVENTION AT

THE SAME TIME...
TIME

I ab = 2 A,
I cb = 3 A
I bd = 4 A
I be = ?

NODES: a,b,c,d,e
BRANCHES: a-b,c-b,d-b,e-b
d
c

-3A

2A

4A
b

Ibe = ?
e

I be + 4 A + [(3 A)] + (2 A) = 0

THE FIFTH EQUATION IS THE SUM OF THE

FIRST FOUR... IT IS REDUNDANT!!!

Example: 2.6

FIND MISSING CURRENTS

I1=80mA, I4=70mA,
I5=50mA, I6=-10mA
WRITE ALL KCL EQUATIONS
Current leaving +ive, Current
entering -ive

KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE INTERCONNECTION.

THE TYPE OF COMPONENT IS IRRELEVANT
KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE TOPOLOGY OF THE CIRCUIT
Negative
i
sign
i
of
f calculated
l l
d current shows
h
that
h
the
h direction
di
i
of
f
actual current is opposite to the predicted direction. So the
actual direction of I6 is towards entering node 2.

Example: 2.7 WRITE KCL EQUATIONS FOR THIS CIRCUIT

THE LAST EQUATION IS AGAIN LINEARLY

DEPENDENT OF THE PREVIOUS THREE

THE PRESENCE OF A DEPENDENT SOURCE

DOES NOT AFFECT APPLICATION OF KCL
KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE TOPOLOGY

Here we illustrate the use

of a more general idea of
node The shaded surface
node.
encloses a section of the
circuit and can be considered
as a BIG node

SUM OF CURRENTS LEAVING BIG NODE = 0

I 4 + 40mA 30mA 20mA 60mA = 0

I 4 = 70mA
THE CURRENT I5 BECOMES INTERNAL TO THE
NODE AND IT IS NOT NEEDED!!!

Find I1

Find I T

I1 = 50mA

Find
d I1

10mA 4mA I1 = 0

IT = 10mA + 40mA + 20mA

Find I1 and I2
I 2 + 3mA I1 = 0

I1 + 4mA 12mA = 0

Find ix

10i x + i x 44mA = 0

i x 10i x + 120mA 12mA = 0

i x = 4mA
I 3 + I 2 I1 = 0
I1
I3

I5 + I 4 I3 = 0
I5

+
-

I2
I2 = 6mA,
6 A I3 = 8mA,
8 A

I4
I4 = 4mA
4 A

mA
I1 = 14
_______
5mA
I5 = _______

DETERMINE THE CURRENTS INDICATED

I3

I1

+
-

5mA

I 4 = 2mAA

+
-

I4

2I 2

I5

I6

I 2 8mA

I1 = 2mA, I 2 = 3mA, I 3 = 5mA

I 6 I1 2 I 2 = 0 I 6 = 8mA

I5 + I 2 I6 = 0
I 4 + I3 I5 = 0

I 5 = 5mA
THE PLAN
MARK ALL THE KNOWN CURRENTS
FIND NODES WHERE ALL BUT ONE CURRENT
ARE KNOWN

FIND I x

Ix

3mA

I X + I1 2 I X = 0
I1 + 4mA 1mA = 0

I1 3mA

VERIFICATION
I b = 1mA + I X = 2mA

1mA

2 I X + 4mA = I b
Ib

2I x

4mA

This question tests KCL and

convention to denote currents
Use sum of currents leaving node = 0
A

I X + (5 A) + (3 A) + 10 A = 0
5A

I EF

Ix

I DE = 10A

I EF + 4 A 10 A = 0
I EG = 4 A

3A
C

I x = -8A

On BD current flows fromB

__ to D
__

I EF = 6A
OnEF current flows from__
E to F__

Home AssignmentsE: 2.3, 2.4, 2.5

P: 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.14

KCL

KIRCHHOFF VOLTAGE LAW

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSERVATION LAWS

IN ELECTRICAL ENGINERING To CALCULATE VOLTAGES

THIS IS A CONSERVATION OF ENERGY PRINCIPLE

ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATE NOR DESTROYED

W = q (VB VA )

W = qV AB

+V B

A POSITIVE CHARGE GAINS ENERGY AS IT MOVES

TO A POINT WITH HIGHER VOLTAGE AND RELEASES
ENERGY IF IT MOVES TO A POINT WITH LOWER
VOLTAGE

B VB
AB

KVL IS A CONSERVATION OF ENERGY PRINCIPLE

A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT

+V

KIRCHHOFF VOLTAGE LAW (KVL)

W = qVBC

+
VA + VCA
W = qVCA

B
VB

VC

IF THE CHARGE COMES BACK TO THE SAME

INITIAL POINT THE NET ENERGY GAIN
MUST BE ZERO (Conservative network)

+
VA

OTHERWISE THE CHARGE COULD END UP WITH

INFINITE ENERGY, OR SUPPLY AN INFINITE
AMOUNT OF ENERGY

+
q

q (VAB + VBC + (VCA )) = 0

+ Vab

b
Vcd +

+
c

LOSES W = qVab

KVL: THE ALGEBRAIC SUM OF VOLTAGE

DROPS AROUND ANY LOOP MUST BE ZERO

GAINS W = qVcd

V +

+ (V )

A VOLTAG E RISE IS
A NEGATIVE DROP

PROBLEM SOLVING TIP: KVL IS USEFUL

TO DETERMINE A VOLTAGE - FIND A LOOP
INCLUDING THE UNKNOWN VOLTAGE
THE LOOP DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PHYSICAL

+
Vbe

VS + VR + VR + VR = 0
1

VR = 12V
2

VR = 18V
1

EXAMPLE : VR1 , VR3 ARE KNOWN

DETERMINE THE VOLTAGE Vbe

VR + Vbe + V R 30[V ] = 0
1

LOOP abcdefa

BACKGROUND: WHEN DISCUSSING KCL WE SAW

THAT NOT ALL POSSIBLE KCL EQUATIONS
ARE INDEPENDENT. WE SHALL SEE THAT THE
SAME SITUATION ARISES WHEN USING KVL

A SNEAK PREVIEW ON THE NUMBER OF

LINEARLY INDEPENDENT EQUATIONS

IN THE CIRCUIT DEFINE

N
NUMBER OF NODES
B
NUMBER OF BRANCHES

N 1

LINEARLY INDEPENDENT
KCL EQUATIONS

B ( N 1) LINEARLY INDEPENDENT
KVL EQUATIONS

EXAMPLE: FOR THE CIRCUIT SHOWN WE HAVE

N = 6
6, B = 7.
7
HENCE THERE ARE ONLY TWO INDEPENDENT
KVL EQUATIONS

THE THIRD EQUATION IS THE SUM OF THE

OTHER TWO!!

FIND THE VOLTAGES Vae ,Vec

GIVEN THE CHOICE USE THE SIMPLEST LOOP

DEPENDENT SOURCES ARE HANDLED WITH THE

SAME EASE

Vad = ______
10V
Vac = ______

Vac 4 6 = 0

6V
Vbd = ______
11V
Vbd = _______
Vbd 2 4 = 0

MUST FIND VR FIRST

12 + V R + 1 + 10V R = 0 V R = 1V
1

DEPENDENT SOURCES ARE NOT REALLY

DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE

Veb 4 + 6 12 = 0

REMINDER: IN A RESISTOR THE VOLTAGE AND

CURRENT DIRECTIONS MUST SATISFY THE
PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION

Vad 12 8 6 = 0

+
Vad = _______, Veb = ________

V +

SAMPLE PROBLEM

+ 4V

+
V1

b + Vx

R = 2k
+
-

+
-

V1 = 12V , V2 = 4V a

V2

DETERMINE
Vx =

4V

Vab = -8V
Power disipated on
the 2k resistor
P2kk =

Remember
past topics

We need to find a closed path where only one voltage is unknown

FOR V X
V X + V2 V1 + 4 = 0
V X + 4 12 + 4 = 0

V X + V2 + Vab = 0
Vab = V X V2

5k

10k

+
25V

Vx +
+
-

+V1

There are no loops with only

one unknown!!!

Vx/2 +

+
-

The current through the 5k and 10k

resistors is the same.
same Hence the
voltage drop across the 5k is one half
of the drop across the 10k!!!

Vx
4

VX VX
V1
+
=0
4
2
VX VX
25[V ] V X
+
=0
V
2
4
V1 = X = 5[V ]
4
V X = 20[V ]

Home Work:
H
W k E2.6,
E2 6 E2.7,
E2 7
P2.17, 2.20, 2.22

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