Kirchhoff's junction law, also known as Kirchhoff's first law or the current law, is rooted in the principle of conservation of charge. This fundamental law states that the total current entering a junction must equal the total current leaving that junction. In mathematical terms, this can be expressed as:
∑Iin = ∑Iout
where Iin represents the currents flowing into the junction and Iout represents the currents flowing out of it. The validity of this law is founded on the conservation of charge, implying that charge is neither created nor destroyed at the junction. It serves as a crucial principle in the analysis of electrical circuits, ensuring that electrical charge is balanced at any intersection where currents converge or diverge.
Kirchhoff's Junction Law states that the **algebraic sum of currents meeting at a junction is zero**.
This means that:
\[ \sum I_{\text{in}} = \sum I_{\text{out}} \]
This law is based on the principle of conservation of electric charge, since no charge is lost or created at a junction in an electrical circuit.
Final Answer: conservation of charge