Kirchhoff’s Rules

Conservation Principles in Circuits:

In our bodies, blood has a designated pathway, ensuring every cell receives nutrients without wastage. Similarly, circuits operate on principles of conservation, ensuring no loss of electrons.

Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule:

Imagine the major junctures in our circulatory system, like where the aorta splits. The blood volume flowing into this juncture is exactly the amount flowing out. In circuits, this translates to the principle that the total current entering a junction equals the current leaving it.

\[ ΣI_{in} = ΣI_{out} \]

This means if we start with 10 A flowing into a junction and 6 A branches out into one part of the circuit then 4 A needs to branch into the other. That way we have 10 A going in and 10 A (6 A + 4 A) going out between the two branches. 

Kirchhoff’s Loop Rule:

Our circulatory system is a closed loop; blood leaves the heart, supplies the body, and returns. By the time it has gotten all the way around it has “lost” all the push (or voltage) it was given by the heart (battery). This means if one of our electrons started with 10V when it first left the battery it will end with 0V by the time it makes it’s way back around to the other terminal. 

\[ ΣV = 0 \]