FCC Exam Question: 6A41

The sum of all voltage drops around a simple DC circuit, including the source, is:

A. Zero
B. Insignificant
C. Infinite
D. None of the above
Correct Answer: A

Explanation: This question relates directly to Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL), a fundamental principle in electrical circuits. KVL states that the algebraic sum of all voltages around any closed loop in a circuit must be zero. In a simple DC circuit: * The voltage source (like a battery) provides an electromotive force (EMF), which is considered a voltage *rise*. * As current flows through components like resistors, they consume energy, resulting in voltage *drops* across them. KVL dictates that the total voltage rise provided by the source must exactly equal the sum of all voltage drops across the components in the circuit. If you assign a positive sign to voltage rises and a negative sign to voltage drops, adding them all up around the circuit loop will always result in zero. This reflects the conservation of energy within the circuit. Therefore, "zero" is the correct answer. The other options are incorrect because voltages in a stable DC circuit are finite and precisely balanced according to KVL, not insignificant or infinite.

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Includes Elements 1, 3, 6, 7R, 8, and 9.