Assignment for Lesson 9.

1
Question No. 4

Create a Power Point presentation pertaining

to your trade topic and submit? 
 Objective of the Lecture

• Explain Kirchhoff’s Current and Voltage Laws.

• Demonstrate how these laws can be used to find

currents and voltages in a circuit.

• Explain how these laws can be used in conjunction

with Ohm’s Law.
 Basic Terminology
 Charge is what makes components electrical
Moving charge is called current, and often represented by
“i” and is measured in Amps = Coulombs/sec
 All components and wires are charge neutral
This means that the net charge flowing into an object is 0
KCL – The sum of the currents into an device or wire = 0
 The force that causes the charge to move is called Voltage,
which is measured in Volts = Joules/Coulomb
Voltage is a potential energy difference and measured
between two nodes
 Introduction
• In 1845 a German scientist named Gustav R.
Kirchhoff gave two laws that deal with a circuit that
consists of several resistors in a complex series-
parallel arrangement. He gave two basic laws to
overcome such complex situations that are as follows:

• Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)

• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
Definition of KCL & KVL
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL):
– The algebraic sum of all the currents entering any
node in a circuit equals zero. (An expression of the
conservation of charge.)
Or
Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) states that the
current flowing out of any node must equal the
current flowing in.
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

In the above figure currents I1 and I2 are entering at

point X. Current I3 is leaving the point X.
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

From Kirchhoff’s current law,

 
I1 + I2 = I3 (1)
 
The above equation can also be written as,
 
I1 + I2 - I3 = 0 (2)
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

From equation 2, Kirchhoff’s current law can also be

stated as:
The algebraic sum of currents leaving and entering
any point in a circuit must be equal to zero.
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

To determine the algebraic sign of currents, following

rule must be followed:

Consider all currents going into a point as positive.

Consider all currents going away from that point as

negative.
 
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

Thus, the currents I1 and I2 in fig.2 will have positive

signs as they are going into the point X and current I3
will have negative sign as it is going away from the
point X.
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

Hence Kirchhoff’s current law at point X can be

written as:
 
(+I1) + (+I2) + (-I3) = 0 ;
Simplifying the above equation we get:

I1 + I2 - I3 = 0
 
•Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) Contd.

Now substituting the values of I1 , I2 & I3 from fig.2 in

the above equation:
 
2A + 3A - 5A = 0.
• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL):
It is based on the conservation of energy. Kirchhoff’s
Voltage Law states that “The algebraic sum of
voltages around any closed path is zero.”
• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) Contd.:

In the circuit shown in the above fig.4, consider the

two closed paths a-c-d-b-a and a-e-f-b-a. These
closed paths are known as “loops”. Each closed path
has several resistors and each resistor will have a
voltage drop across them.
• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) Contd.:

• To find the algebraic sum of voltages around a

closed path;

• Start from any point, go around the path and come

back to the same point from where you started.

• To determine the signs for voltage drops across the

resistors;
• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) Contd.:

• Mark the polarity of each voltage based on the polarity of

source voltage as given in the problem.

• Move around the path and give positive sign for the voltage
whose positive terminal is reached first or give negative
sign for the voltage whose negative terminal is reached
first.

• Write the loop equation considering the voltage sources

also.
• KVL and Polarity:

• Remember that KVL is about V (“voltage”) around a

loop.

• Therefore, current flow is ignored (or indirectly

involved through Ohm’s Law, V=I*R).

• Each element (active or passive) must have voltage

polarity marks. It’s about voltage!
• Example of KVL:
• Example of KVL Contd.:

• Writing the loop equation for loop a-c-d-b-a of the

above figure:
• Start from point a and taking the clockwise direction.
Go through the loop a-c-d-b-a and write down the
voltage drops across the resistors including their signs
and equate it to zero as given below: 
+V1 + V2 + V5 – VT = 0 ……..(1)
• Example of KVL Contd.:

• Rewriting the equation 1 as:

V1 + V2 + V5 = VT

• Now writing the loop equation for loop a-e-f-b-a :

• Start from point a and taking the clockwise direction. Go
through the loop a-e-f-b-a and write down the voltage
drops across the resistors including their signs and equate
it to zero as given below:
• Example of KVL Contd.:

+V1 + V3 + V4 + V5 – VT = 0 ……..(2)

• Rewriting the equation 1 as:

V1 + V3 + V4 + V5 = VT  
• Equations (1) & (2) above state that; In any closed
loop, the sum of voltage drops across resistors is
equal to the applied voltage.
 What the ‘+’ and ‘-’ next to a
Device and What an ‘ ‘ Next to
a Wire Mean
Notice that when we measure a voltage across a device
– We add a “+” to one lead and “-” to the other
– These define the reference direction for the voltage
measurement

• It does NOT mean that the “+” lead is higher than the
“-” lead
• It means that:
– You should connect the red lead of your DMM to the
“+” terminal
– You should connect the black lead to the “-” terminal
– The voltage you measure could be positive or negative

• Similarly an is only an assumed current direction.

The measured or calculated current can be positive or
negative.

• We may determine positive or negative results for the

various voltages and currents when solving actual
situations like this. What assumptions you make
when conducting your analysis are irrelevant.
We may determine positive or negative results for the
various voltages and currents when solving actual
situations like this. What assumptions you make when
conducting your analysis are irrelevant.
 Questions For Practice
• Resistors of R1= 10Ω, R2 = 4Ω and  R3 = 8Ω are
connected up to two batteries (of negligible
resistance) as shown. Find the current through each
resistor.
 Questions For Practice
• Determine Voltages V4 and V5 in terms of other
source voltages as depicted in the below figure.
 Questions For Practice
• Determine currents and voltages marked in red for the
figure shown below.
 REFERENCES
• https://web.stanford.edu/class/archive/engr/eng
r40m.1178/slides_sp17/lecture03.pdf

• ..\Desktop\RPL\POT\assignment\5.1 D\Assign
ment for Lesson 5.1.pdf