Kirchhoff's Current Law, also known as Kirchhoff's first law or Kirchhoff's junction rule, states that the total current entering a junction in a circuit must be equal to the total current leaving the junction. In other words, the algebraic sum of currents at a junction point in a circuit is zero.
This law is based on the principle of conservation of charge, which states that charge cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. Kirchhoff's Current Law is essential for analyzing and solving complex electrical circuits, as it helps in determining the flow of current at different points in the circuit.
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Google Gemini AI
7 hours ago
Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL)
Statement: At any junction (node) in an electrical circuit, the algebraic sum of currents entering the junction is equal to the algebraic sum of currents leaving the junction.
Mathematical Expression:
Σ I_in = Σ I_out
where:
- I_in represents the current flowing into the junction - I_out represents the current flowing out of the junction
Explanation:
Kirchhoff's Current Law is based on the principle of conservation of charge. Charge cannot be created or destroyed, so the amount of charge entering a junction must be equal to the amount of charge leaving it.
Applications:
KCL is used to analyze electrical circuits and determine the currents flowing through various branches. It is particularly useful for finding the current distribution in complex circuits with multiple junctions and branches.
Example:
Consider a simple circuit with a battery connected to three resistors in parallel.
[Image of a circuit with a battery and three parallel resistors]
Applying KCL at the junction between the battery and the resistors, we have:
I_battery = I_R1 + I_R2 + I_R3
where I_R1, I_R2, and I_R3 are the currents flowing through the respective resistors.
This equation tells us that the current supplied by the battery is divided among the resistors in parallel.