Experiment: Verification of Kirchhoff's Voltage Law
(KVL)
Aim: To verify Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) in a simple DC circuit.
Apparatus Required:
1. DC power supply
2. Resistors (R1, R2)
3. Voltmeter
4. Connecting wires
5. Breadboard / Circuit board
Theory:
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law states that the algebraic sum of all the voltages in a closed loop is equal to
zero.
Mathematically:
V - VR1 - VR2 = 0
Where V is the supply voltage, VR1 and VR2 are the voltage drops across resistors R1 and R2
respectively.
Procedure:
1. Connect the circuit as shown in the circuit diagram with resistors R1 and R2 in series with a DC
supply.
2. Connect voltmeters across R1, R2, and the total supply to measure respective voltages.
3. Switch ON the DC supply and note the voltages V, VR1, and VR2.
4. Verify whether V ≈ VR1 + VR2.
5. Repeat the experiment for different values of resistors or supply voltage.
Calculation/Observation Table:
Supply Voltage (V) Voltage across R1 (V) Voltage across R2 (V) V1 + V2 (V) Verification
10 4.9 5.1 10.0 Verified
12 6.1 5.9 12.0 Verified
Precautions:
1. Ensure all connections are tight and correct.
2. Use properly calibrated voltmeters.
3. Switch off the supply when not taking readings.
4. Avoid touching live wires to prevent shock.
5. Note readings carefully to minimize errors.
Result:
It is verified that the supply voltage is equal to the sum of voltage drops across individual resistors.
Hence, Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is experimentally verified.
