KIRCHOFFSVOLTAGELAW:EXAMPLE1

GIVEN:Considerthecircuitshown,where
R1=20
R2=40
V1=20V
REQUIRED:
(a)ThecurrentthroughR1.
(b)ThecurrentthroughR2.
(c)Thecurrentleavingthevoltagesource.
SOLUTION:
(a)First,weidentifytheloopsinthecircuit.Asshownbelow,wecanchooseanytwoofthethreeloops.

KirchoffsVoltageLaw:Thesumofthevoltagedropsaroundanyclosedloopiszero.

Energyisalwaysdissipatedbyresistors.

Voltagedecreasesinthedirectionofpositive
currentflow.

WhenapplyingKVL,assumevoltagedecreases
acrossaresistorintheassumeddirectionof
currentflow(andincreasesoppositethe
directionofcurrentflow).

ApplyingKVLtoLoop1:

ApplyingOhmsLawtoR1yields...

(b)TofindIR2,wecanuseeitherLoop2orLoop3.LetsapplyKVLtoLoop2.

ApplyingOhmsLaw:

(c)Firstdeterminetheequivalentresistanceofthecircuit:

ApplyingOhmsLaw:

DISCUSSION:

KirchhoffsVoltageLawisausefultoolforcircuitanalysis.
Thevoltagedropsacrossbothresistorswereequaleventhoughthecurrentsweredifferent.Thevoltage
dropisALWAYSthesameacrosstworesistorsinparallel.
NoticethatIR1+IR2=I.Thismeansthatcurrentisconserved.Wewilllearnlaterthatthisisanapplicationof
KirchhoffsCurrentLaw(KCL).