According to Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law, what is the sum of the electrical potential differences in a closed network?

According to Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL), the sum of the electrical potential differences (voltage) around any closed loop or mesh in a circuit is equal to zero. This principle is based on the law of conservation of energy, indicating that the total energy supplied by voltage sources in the loop is used up by the potential drops across the components within that loop.

When applying KVL, each voltage rise (from sources) and voltage drop (across resistors and other components) is accounted for. In a closed loop, the amount of energy supplied by the sources exactly balances the energy consumed by the loads in the circuit. Consequently, when you sum all the voltages, the result must be zero, reflecting that energy is conserved within the loop.

This law is fundamental in electrical engineering for analyzing circuits, ensuring that calculated voltages are accurate and maintaining the integrity of energy conservation principles.