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A student traverses a loop and writes every element voltage as positive regardless of polarity. Why can this lead to an incorrect KVL equation?
ABecause KVL is valid only for DC circuits
BBecause sign depends on whether the traversal goes from $+$ to $-$ or from $-$ to $+$ across each element
CBecause voltage cannot be measured across individual elements
DBecause current direction must always match loop direction
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Because sign depends on whether the traversal goes from $+$ to $-$ or from $-$ to $+$ across each element
In KVL, each term is algebraic. Crossing an element from $+$ to $-$ gives a drop, while crossing from $-$ to $+$ gives a rise. Ignoring polarity makes the equation inconsistent with the actual energy changes around the loop.