Kirchhoff’s First Law states that the total current entering a junction is equal to the total current leaving the junction. OR The algebraic sum of currents at a junction is zero.
Referring to the diagram above, the current entering any junction is equal to the current leaving that junction. Hence, i1 + i4 = i2 + i3
Kirchhoff’s first law is a statement of the conservation of charges.
- Whatever current enters a given junction in a circuit must leave that junction since charge cannot be created or destroyed at a junction.
- Charge cannot escape from the wire but has to flow around the circuit.
Video of the Kirchhoff’s First Law. The ‘i’ in the video is current. (Not a complex number)
