Kirchhoff's Voltage Law for a simple series circuit states what?

• A. The algebraic sum of voltages around the circuit is zero.
• B. The sum of voltages around a loop equals the total circuit voltage.
• C. The algebraic sum of currents around the circuit is zero.
• D. The algebraic sum of voltages around the circuit equals the total circuit voltage.

Answer: (D)

Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is about energy balance in a closed loop: the directed voltages you encounter as you go around the loop must add up to the amount of voltage provided by the sources in that loop. In a simple series circuit, all the voltage drops across the elements—resistors, capacitors, etc.—sum to the source voltage that powers the circuit. In other words, the algebraic sum of voltages around the loop equals the total circuit voltage supplied by the source. This reflects energy conservation: the source supplies a certain amount of voltage, and that same amount is distributed across the circuit’s elements with no net gain or loss around the loop.