Experiment No.

6
On KIRCHHOFF’S
RULES
LESSONS 21 & 22: 15 & 17 October 2018
 EXPERIMENT No 6:
On KIRCHHOFF’S RULES

A. To measure the voltages and currents

in a multi-loop circuit.
B. To compare the results to those
calculated with Kirchhoff’s Junction
and Loop Rules.
RECALL: Concepts
o What is Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule?

o What is Kirchhoff’s Loop Rule?

o Which of the two Kirchhoff’s rules is based

on the conservation of charge?

o Which of the two Kirchhoff’s rules is based

on the conservation of energy?
 AFP Vision 2028: A World-Class Armed Forces, Source of National Pride

Recall!
Series Wiring Parallel Wiring

IT  I1  I 2 VT  V1  V2
VT  V1  V2 IT  I1  I 2
R EQ  R1  R 2 1 1 1
 
R EQ R1 R 2
4
ARNALDO, RL AFP Core Values: Honor, Service, Patriotism
 AFP Vision 2028: A World-Class Armed Forces, Source of National Pride

What about this?

5
ARNALDO, RL AFP Core Values: Honor, Service, Patriotism
 AFP Vision 2028: A World-Class Armed Forces, Source of National Pride

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 (voltages)
across all the elements around any closed circuit
loop must be zero.
• A statement of Conservation of Energy
ARNALDO, RL AFP Core Values: Honor, Service, Patriotism
 Junction rule

• The sum of the currents I1  I 2  I3

entering any junction
must equal the sum of the
currents leaving that
junction.

– Conservation of Charge
(charge can’t build up or
disappear at a point)
 Loop rule
• The sum of the potential
differences (voltages)
across all the elements
around any closed circuit
loop must be zero

– Conservation of Energy
(any charge that moves
around any closed loop in a
circuit must gain as much
energy as it loses)
 Loop Rule (RESISTORS)
• Traveling around the loop
from a to b
• In (a), the resistor is
traversed in the direction
of the current, the
potential across the
resistor is −IR
• In (b), the resistor is
traversed in the direction
opposite of the current,
the potential across the
resistor is +IR
 Loop Rule (SOURCES)

• In (c), the source of emf is

traversed in the direction
of the emf (from − to +),
the change in the electric
potential is +ε
• In (d), the source of emf is
traversed in the direction
opposite of the emf (from
+ to −), the change in the
electric potential is −ε
 AFP Vision 2028: A World-Class Armed Forces, Source of National Pride

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

traversing the loop
– Record voltage drops and rises as they occur
ARNALDO, RL AFP Core Values: Honor, Service, Patriotism
The CIRCUIT
ASSIGNMENT/ANNOUNCEMENT

 Groups 1&2 next meeting;

 Submission of Lab Reports will be up
to 1500H of the following day only;
 Submit your Lab Reports at
O/ACAD4 only.