ˈkirḵˌhōfs- noun
Usage: usually capitalized K
Etymology: after Gustav R. Kirchhoff died 1887 German physicist
1. : a statement in physics: in an electric network the algebraic sum of the currents in all the branches that meet at any point is zero
2. : a statement in physics: if any closed circuit is chosen from the branches of an electric network, the algebraic sum of the products formed by multiplying the resistance of each branch by the current in that branch is equal to the algebraic sum of the electromotive forces in the several branches forming the circuit
3. : a statement in physics: the ratio of the emissive power to the absorptivity is the same for all bodies at the same temperature and equals the emissive power of a black body at that temperature