In a series circuit, current through all components is

In a series circuit, current through all components is

• A. The same
• B. Varies across components
• C. Increases with the number of components
• D. Halves with each added component

Answer: (A)

In a series circuit, the current through all components is the same because there is only one path for the current to take. The same current flows through every element, even though the voltage can drop differently across each one depending on its resistance (V = IR). The total current is set by the source voltage and the combined resistance of all components in series (I = V / R_total). When you add more components in series, the total resistance increases, which tends to reduce the overall current for a fixed voltage, but that current is still the same through each component. The statements that the current varies across components, that it increases with more components, or that it halves with each added piece don’t fit because they contradict the single-path, same-current nature of a series circuit.

In a series circuit, the current through all components is the same because there is only one path for the current to take. The same current flows through every element, even though the voltage can drop differently across each one depending on its resistance (V = IR). The total current is set by the source voltage and the combined resistance of all components in series (I = V / R_total). When you add more components in series, the total resistance increases, which tends to reduce the overall current for a fixed voltage, but that current is still the same through each component. The statements that the current varies across components, that it increases with more components, or that it halves with each added piece don’t fit because they contradict the single-path, same-current nature of a series circuit.