In a series circuit, the voltage drop across each load will

In a series circuit, the voltage drop across each load will

• A. Sum to the source voltage
• B. Equal the current in the circuit
• C. Add up to equal the source voltage
• D. Vary independently of the source

Answer: (C)

In a series circuit, the voltage drops across all loads must sum to the source voltage. The same current flows through every component, and each drop is V = I·R for that component. When you add up all those drops (V1 + V2 + … + Vn), you get the source voltage: V_source = V1 + V2 + … + Vn. This is why the total energy per charge delivered by the source is what’s consumed across the series elements. The voltage drops do not equal the current—voltage is measured in volts and current in amperes, and in a series circuit the current is the same through all components while the voltages across them add up to the source. Also, the drops aren’t independent of the source; they are determined by the current and the individual resistances, and must collectively equal the source voltage.

In a series circuit, the voltage drops across all loads must sum to the source voltage. The same current flows through every component, and each drop is V = I·R for that component. When you add up all those drops (V1 + V2 + … + Vn), you get the source voltage: V_source = V1 + V2 + … + Vn. This is why the total energy per charge delivered by the source is what’s consumed across the series elements.

The voltage drops do not equal the current—voltage is measured in volts and current in amperes, and in a series circuit the current is the same through all components while the voltages across them add up to the source. Also, the drops aren’t independent of the source; they are determined by the current and the individual resistances, and must collectively equal the source voltage.