Kirchoff’s Laws

Gustav Kirchhoff
• 1824 – 1887
• Invented
spectroscopy with
Robert Bunsen
• Formulated rules
about radiation
 Kirchhoff’s Rules
• There are ways in which resistors can be
connected so that the circuits formed
cannot be reduced to a single equivalent
resistor
• Two rules, called Kirchhoff’s Rules can be
used instead
 Statement of Kirchhoff’s Rules
• Junction Rule
– The sum of the currents entering any junction must
equal the sum of the currents leaving that junction
• A statement of Conservation of Charge
• Loop Rule
– The sum of the potential differences across all the
elements around any closed circuit loop must be zero
• A statement of Conservation of Energy
More About the Junction Rule
• I1 = I 2 + I3
• From Conservation
of Charge
• Diagram b shows a
mechanical analog
 Setting Up Kirchhoff’s Rules
• Assign symbols and directions to the currents in
all branches of the circuit
– If a direction is chosen incorrectly, the resulting
answer will be negative, but the magnitude will be
correct
• When applying the loop rule, choose a direction
for transversing the loop
– Record voltage drops and rises as they occur
 More About the Loop Rule
• Traveling around the loop
from a to b
• In a, the resistor is
transversed in the direction of
the current, the potential
across the resistor is –IR
• In b, the resistor is
transversed in the direction
opposite of the current, the
potential across the resistor is
+IR
 Loop Rule, final
• In c, the source of emf is
transversed in the direction
of the emf (from – to +),
the change in the electric
potential is +ε
• In d, the source of emf is
transversed in the direction
opposite of the emf (from +
to -), the change in the
electric potential is -ε
 Kirchoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
• The algebraic sum of voltages around each loop
is zero
• Follow the loop
– Voltage Supplier
• If the loop arrow goes in the (-) side and out of the (+) side.
Treat the Voltage source with a (+) sign
• If the loop arrow goes in the (+) side and out of the (-) side.
Treat the Voltage source with a (-) sign
– Voltage User
• If the loop arrow is parallel to the current. Treat the Voltage
user with a (-) sign
• If the loop arrow is antiparallel to the current. Treat the
Voltage user with a (-) sign
 Kirchoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
• The algebraic sum of voltages around each loop
is zero
• The sum of the voltage drops and voltage rise
should be zero
 Circuit Analysis
• When given a circuit with sources and
resistors having fixed values, you can use
Kirchoff’s two laws and Ohm’s law to
determine all branch voltages and currents
+ VAB -
A I
7Ω B
+
+
12 v 3Ω
VBC
-
-
C
 Kirchoff’s Current Law (KCL)
• The algebraic sum of currents entering a
node is zero
– Add each branch current entering the node
and subtract each branch current leaving the
node
• Σ currents in - Σ currents out = 0
• Or Σ currents in = Σ currents out
 Example Circuit

Solve for the currents through each resistor

And the voltages across each resistor
 Example Circuit
+ I1∙10Ω - + I3∙6Ω -

+ +
I2∙8Ω I3∙4Ω
- -

Using Ohm’s law, add polarities and

expressions for each resistor voltage
 Example Circuit
+ I1∙10Ω - + I3∙6Ω -

+ +
I2∙8Ω I3∙4Ω
- -

Write 1st Kirchoff’s voltage law equation

50 v - I1∙10Ω - I2∙8Ω = 0
 Example Circuit
+ I1∙10Ω - + I3∙6Ω -

+ +
I2∙8Ω I3∙4Ω
- -

Write 2nd Kirchoff’s voltage law equation

I2∙8Ω - I3∙6Ω - I3∙4Ω = 0 8I2 = 10I3
8I2 - 6I3 - 4I3 = 0
I2 = 1.25∙I3
8I2 - 10I3 = 0
 Example Circuit
A

Write Kirchoff’s current law equation at A

+I1 – I2 – I3 = 0
 Example Circuit
• We now have 3 equations in 3 unknowns,
so we can solve for the currents through
each resistor, that are used to find the
voltage across each resistor
• Since I1 - I2 - I3 = 0, I1 = I2 + I3
• Substituting into the 1st KVL equation
50 v – (I2 + I3)∙10Ω – I2∙8Ω = 0
or I2∙18 Ω + I3∙ 10 Ω = 50 volts
 Example Circuit
• But from the 2nd KVL equation, I2 = 1.25∙I3
• Substituting into 1st KVL equation:
(1.25 ∙ I3)∙18 Ω + I3 ∙ 10 Ω = 50 volts
Or: I3 ∙ 22.5 Ω + I3 ∙ 10 Ω = 50 volts
Or: I3∙ 32.5 Ω = 50 volts
Or: I3 = 50 volts/32.5 Ω
Or: I3 = 1.538 amps
 Example Circuit
• Since I3 = 1.538 amps
I2 = 1.25∙I3 = 1.923 amps
• Since I1 = I2 + I3, I1 = 3.461 amps
• The voltages across the resistors:
I1∙10Ω = 34.61 volts
I2∙8Ω = 15.38 volts
I3∙6Ω = 9.23 volts
I3∙4Ω = 6.15 volts
 SHORTCUT
• 50 v – I1∙10Ω – I2∙8Ω = 0
• 8 I2 – 10 I3 = 0
• I1 – I 2 – I 3 = 0
Rearrange
– 10 I1 – 8 I2 + 0 I3 = – 50 v
0 I1 + 8 I2 – 10I3 = 0
I1 – I2 – I 3 = 0
−𝟏𝟎 −𝟖 𝟎 𝑰𝟏 −𝟓𝟎
𝟎 𝟖 −𝟏𝟎 𝑰𝟐 𝟎
𝟏 −𝟏 − 𝟏 𝑰𝟑 𝟎
𝑰 𝟏=𝑰 𝟐 + 𝑰 𝟑 → 𝑰 𝟏 − 𝑰 𝟐 − 𝑰 𝟑=𝟎
𝟏 −𝟏 − 𝟏 𝟎 𝑰 𝟏=𝟑 𝑨
−𝟑 −𝟑 𝟎 −𝟐𝟒 𝑰 𝟐=𝟓 𝑨
𝟎 𝟑 −𝟕 𝟐𝟗 𝑰 𝟑=− 𝟐 𝑨