Kirchhoff's voltage law (KVL)

Definition

Kirchhoff's voltage law states that the sum of all voltages around any closed loop in an electrical circuit is zero. This means that the algebraic sum of potential differences across all elements (such as resistors and batteries) in a closed loop is equal to zero.

Related terms

Loop Rule: Another name for Kirchhoff's voltage law.

Voltage Source: A component that provides electromotive force (EMF) or potential difference in an electrical circuit.

Mesh Analysis: A method used to analyze circuits by creating loops and applying KVL to solve for unknown currents.