EXPERIMENT 10

KIRCHHOFFS LAWS AND CLOSED LOOPS

I. OBJECTIVE

To examine one of the methods or techniques used in electric circuit

analysis, which is applied to electric circuits that contain more than one
closed loops or closed paths and more than one sources of electric energy.

II. THEORY

Consider the circuit shown in Figure 10.1. In this case, there are several
closed loops. For example, the loop starting at the positive side of the E A
source and passing through EA, R3, EB and R1 and ending at the starting point
is one possible closed loop.

Figure 10.1
A circuit with several closed loops.

Similarly, the loop need not contain a source to be considered as a closed

loop. Note that in Fig. 10.1, the loop containing only R 1 and R2 is also a
closed path or loop.

Voltage Law
One of the popular techniques used in the analysis of such loop circuits
employs a law commonly referred to as Kirchhoffs Voltage Law(KVL). This law,
together with Kirchhoffs Current Law(KCL), was formulated by Gustav Robert
Kirchhoff (12 March 1824 17 October 1887) in 1845. He was a German physicist
who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical
circuits, spectroscopy, and the emission of black-body radiation by heated
objects.

Kirchhoffs Voltage Law(KVL) states that,

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Experiment 10: Kirchhoffs Laws and Closed Loops
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 The algebraic sum of the source voltages around any closed loop is
equal to the algebraic sum of the voltage drops across the
resistances in that same closed loop.

This law may be translated into an equation which describes the operation of
any loop. For example, let us return to the loop in Figure 10.1 which
contains EA, EB, R3 and R1. Kirchhoffs voltage law ensures that:

EA EB = E3 + E1 Equation 1a
Where E3 and E1 are the voltage drops across R 3 and R1 respectively.
Similarly, the equation which describes the loop involving E A, R3, EB and R2
is:

EA EB = E3 + E2 Equation 1b
The small R1-R2 loop contains no source, and we have:

0 = E1 E2 Equation 1c

One fairly easy method of arriving at the loop equation for a particular loop
is to select arbitrarily a direction of current flow through one of the
sources and then mark the polarity of each drop such that they are all
compatible with the original choice of current direction.
Current Law

In a previous experiment, you had verified that the total current IT in a

circuit containing resistors in parallel is equal to the sum of the currents
in all of the branches of the parallel circuit. This was one demonstration of
Kirchhoffs Current Law limited to a parallel network. The law is perfectly
general, however, and is applicable to any circuit. Kirchhoffs Current
Law(KCL) states that,

The sum of the currents entering any junction of an electric

circuit is equal to the sum of the currents leaving the same
junction, or

The algebraic sum of all currents at a point, junction or node

of a circuit is equal to zero.

Applying KCL to junction A of Figure 10.2.

I1 + I2 I3 I4 I5 = 0 or I1 + I2 = I3 + I4 + I5

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 I3
I1

I4

I2

I5

Figure 10.2
Current Entering and Leaving Junction A

Sign Convention

For Kirchhoffs Current Law:

the current is positive in sign if it is entering the junction

the current is negative in sign if it is leaving the junction

For Kirchhoffs Voltage Law:

For sources of EMFs

E is positive in sign if it is traced from its negative to positive

terminals; while,
E is negative in sign if it is traced from its positive to negative
terminals.

For IR drops

IR is positive in sign if the resistor is traced in a direction opposite

to the flow of I through the resistor; while,
IR is negative in sign if the resistor is traced in a direction the same
as the flow of I through the resistor.

III. INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS

1 EMS Power Supply Module

1 DC Voltmeter
1 DC Ammeter
2 EMS Resistance Modules (A and B)
1 Storage Battery
10 Connecting Wires

IV. PROCEDURE

1. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 10.3.

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 Figure 10.3 The Experimental Circuit

2. Turn ON the switch of the power supply module.

3. Set the source EA to 25 volts and measure the actual value of the storage
battery voltage EB.

4. Measure and record each of the five voltage drops E1 across R1, E2 across
R2, etc. in Table 10.1. Using KVL, write the loop equations for the six
closed loops in Figure 10.3.

5. Substitute the measured values of the voltage drops and values of

the two source voltages into each of the loop equations formed in step 4
and illustrate that each equation is correct.

6. Write again the six loop equations for the six closed loops in
Figure 10.3, this time in terms of the branch currents of the circuit.

7. Using the equations formed in Step 6 together with the application

of Kirchhoffs Current Law, solve for the branch currents of the circuit.

8. Using the result of Step 7, compute and record each of the five
voltage drops in Table 10.1.

9. Compute for the percent difference between the measured and

computed values of the five voltage drops and record in Table 10.1.

PRELIMINARY REPORT Date Performed: _______________

Experiment Number: 10

Experiment Title: KIRCHHOFFS LAWS AND CLOSED LOOPS

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Group Number: __________ Signature:

Group Leader: _____________________ __________________

Group Members Present: _____________________ __________________

_____________________ __________________

_____________________ __________________

_____________________ __________________

V. DATA AND RESULTS

EA = _______________
EB = _______________

Table 10.1
Value E1 E2 E3 E4 E5
Measured
Computed
% Difference

Step 4.

Loop equation (1): _________________________

Loop equation (2): _________________________
Loop equation (3): _________________________
Loop equation (4): _________________________
Loop equation (5): _________________________
Loop equation (6): _________________________

Step 5.

Loop equation (1): _________________________

Loop equation (2): _________________________
Loop equation (3): _________________________
Loop equation (4): _________________________
Loop equation (5): _________________________
Loop equation (6): _________________________

Step 6.

Loop equation (1): _________________________

Loop equation (2): _________________________
Loop equation (3): _________________________

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 Loop equation (4): _________________________
Loop equation (5): _________________________
Loop equation (6): _________________________

Step 7.

Branch Currents:

IT = _______________
I1 = _______________
I2 = _______________
I3 = _______________
I4 = _______________
I5 = _______________

Instructors Signature: _______________

Grade: __________

VI. COMPUTATIONS

VII. CONCLUSIONS

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In concise point form, draw appropriate conclusions from the results of the
experiment.

VIII. QUESTIONS

1. Write the loop equations for each of the circuits shown in Figure
10.4.

Figure 10.4a Figure 10.4b

Figure 10.4c

2. Substitute the following values into the equations arrived at no.

1.

EA = 5 volts EB = 15 volts EC = 9 volts

R1 = 10K ohms R2 = 4.7K ohms R3 = 20K ohms
R4 = 2.7K ohms R5 = 15K ohms

3. Draw a circuit which can be represented by the equation, 6 4I

2I + 3 = 0.

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