According to Kirchoff's Voltage Law, what must the total of all voltage drops in a series circuit equal?

According to Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL), the total of all voltage drops in a closed circuit must equal the total voltage supplied by the sources in that circuit. In a series circuit, the voltage supplied by the battery is distributed across each of the components, such as resistors. Therefore, the sum of all voltage drops across the various components will equal the voltage provided by the battery.

This principle emphasizes the conservation of energy in electrical circuits, where the energy supplied by the voltage source is completely converted to work done against the resistive elements, resulting in voltage drops. As such, when you measure the voltage across each component in a series circuit and add those values together, they should equal the voltage from the battery, confirming the validity of Kirchhoff's Law and ensuring that energy is accounted for in the system.

In contrast, other options do not directly relate to KVL. The total current supplied pertains to Ohm's Law and does not represent voltage. The sum of resistances provides information about the circuit’s total opposition to current but does not determine voltage directly. Similarly, the total power consumed relates to the product of current and voltage, but does not reflect Kirchhoff's voltage principle. Thus, recognizing that the voltage drops must equal