What is Kirchhoff's Voltage Law?

Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) states that the sum of all the electrical voltages around any closed circuit loop must equal zero. This principle is based on the law of conservation of energy, which asserts that energy supplied around a circuit must equal energy consumed. In practical terms, KVL means that when you add up the voltage gains (from sources like batteries) and the voltage drops (across components like resistors) in a complete loop of an electrical circuit, their total will balance out to zero.

This concept is critical for analyzing complex circuits, allowing engineers and electricians to determine the voltage drops across each component and ensure that circuits function properly. Understanding KVL is fundamental when designing circuits and analyzing their behavior under various conditions. The other options deal with different laws and principles in circuit theory, such as current conservation and Ohm's law, which while important, do not define Kirchhoff's Voltage Law.