Define series circuit.

Define series circuit.

• A. All components are connected across the same two points
• B. Current is the same through all components
• C. Voltage is constant across each element
• D. Anything connected directly across two points of different potential is said to be in series

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that a series circuit has components connected end-to-end between two points with a voltage difference, forming a single path for current. Because there’s only one path, the current that flows through one component must flow through all of them. The statement that anything connected directly across two points of different potential is in series captures this: the element sits on the same path between those two terminals and shares the same current with the others along that route. This also explains why the total voltage is the sum of the drops across each element. In contrast, if components are connected across the same two points, that describes a parallel arrangement, where each element experiences the same voltage. Also, voltages across elements in series aren’t generally constant; they depend on each element’s resistance, even though the current is the same through all of them.

The key idea is that a series circuit has components connected end-to-end between two points with a voltage difference, forming a single path for current. Because there’s only one path, the current that flows through one component must flow through all of them. The statement that anything connected directly across two points of different potential is in series captures this: the element sits on the same path between those two terminals and shares the same current with the others along that route. This also explains why the total voltage is the sum of the drops across each element. In contrast, if components are connected across the same two points, that describes a parallel arrangement, where each element experiences the same voltage. Also, voltages across elements in series aren’t generally constant; they depend on each element’s resistance, even though the current is the same through all of them.