Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law states that the directed sum of the electrical potential differences (voltage) around any closed network is zero. True or False??
The correct answer and explanation is:
True
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) states that the directed sum of the electrical potential differences (voltages) around any closed loop or circuit is zero. This law is based on the principle of conservation of energy. In any closed circuit, the total energy supplied by voltage sources (such as batteries or power supplies) is entirely used up by the resistive elements (like resistors, capacitors, or inductors) and any other passive components in the circuit.
KVL can be understood by considering the fact that voltage is a form of energy per unit charge. When you move around a closed loop, the energy supplied by the voltage sources must equal the energy dissipated by the resistive components in that loop. If this were not true, it would imply that energy is being created or destroyed in the system, which would violate the conservation of energy.
In a practical sense, KVL ensures that all voltages in a circuit, when summed algebraically, will result in zero. This means that if you start from a point in a circuit, follow the path around the loop, and return to the starting point, the net change in voltage will be zero. This law applies to both direct current (DC) circuits, where the voltage sources supply a constant voltage, and alternating current (AC) circuits, where voltages oscillate with time.
KVL is a fundamental law used in circuit analysis to solve for unknown voltages or currents in electrical networks. It provides a crucial relationship between the voltages in a circuit and helps engineers and physicists predict how circuits behave under different conditions. In essence, it helps to ensure that the energy in the circuit is conserved and correctly balanced across the various components.