What does Kirchhoff's Voltage Law state?

Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering and circuit analysis. It states that within any closed loop in an electrical circuit, the sum of the electromotive forces (or source voltages) is equal to the sum of the voltage drops across all elements in that loop. This means that as you traverse around a closed circuit, the total potential gain from power sources must be balanced by the total potential drop across load components.

This principle arises from the conservation of energy; in a closed loop, energy supplied by voltage sources must equal the energy lost in passive components. Thus, if you were to add up all the voltages (including gains and drops) in that loop, the result would always equal zero. This makes KVL extremely useful for analyzing and designing electrical circuits, helping to ensure that energy is conserved throughout the system.

The other options pertain to different electrical concepts rather than directly addressing Kirchhoff's Voltage Law. One option refers to resistance, another to opposition encountered by charges, and the third relates to the relationship between voltage and current, none of which encapsulate the essence of KVL.