Practice Series Circuit in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

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Quick Recap

A circuit arrangement in which components are connected end-to-end along a single path, so exactly the same current flows through every component.

Like cars on a single-lane road — every car (charge) must pass through every toll booth (component) in order.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

medium

Three resistors in series share

18 \text{ V}

. Two of them are equal and each dissipate

4 \text{ V}

. What voltage is across the third resistor?

Example 2

challenge

A series circuit with a

9

V battery and total resistance

R

carries

0.6

A. A

3\,\Omega

resistor is then added in series. What is the new current?

Example 3

medium

20

V source drives

5\,\Omega

and

5\,\Omega

in series. Find the current.

Example 4

medium

24

V battery drives

4\,\Omega

and

8\,\Omega

in series. Find the current and the voltage across the

8\,\Omega

resistor.

Example 5

hard

A series circuit has a

5 \text{ } \Omega

resistor and a

10 \text{ } \Omega

resistor across a battery of unknown emf. The

10 \text{ } \Omega

resistor dissipates

4 \text{ W}

. Find the loop current and the emf.

Example 6

medium

12 \text{ V}

battery drives a

4 \text{ } \Omega

resistor in series with an unknown

R

. The current is

1.5 \text{ A}

. Find

R

Example 7

easy

Will adding more resistors in series cause the total current to increase or decrease (same battery)?

Example 8

medium

24 \text{ V}

battery drives resistors

R_1 = 2 \text{ } \Omega

R_2 = 4 \text{ } \Omega

R_3 = 6 \text{ } \Omega

in series. Find (a) the current and (b) the voltage across

R_3

Example 9

hard

Design a voltage divider using two series resistors to drop a

12 \text{ V}

source down to

4 \text{ V}

across the lower resistor, with a total current of

10 \text{ mA}

Example 10

easy

9 \text{ V}

battery drives three identical resistors in series. What voltage appears across each?

Example 11

easy

In a series circuit, is the current the same through every component?

Example 12

easy

Four identical

3 \text{ } \Omega

resistors are in series. What is the total resistance?

Example 13

medium

10

V source feeds

2\,\Omega

3\,\Omega

, and

5\,\Omega

in series. What is the voltage across the

3\,\Omega

resistor?

Example 14

challenge

Old-style Christmas lights have

50

identical bulbs in series across a

120 \text{ V}

supply. Each bulb dissipates

1.2 \text{ W}

at its operating point. Find the current and the resistance of each bulb at operation.

Example 15

medium

In a series circuit with two bulbs, one bulb burns out (open). Does the other still light?

Example 16

easy

Resistors of

3 \text{ } \Omega

4 \text{ } \Omega

, and

5 \text{ } \Omega

are in series. What is the total resistance?

Example 17

hard

6 \text{ V}

battery drives resistors

R_1 = 2 \text{ } \Omega

and

R_2 = 4 \text{ } \Omega

in series. The battery has internal resistance

1 \text{ } \Omega

. Find the terminal voltage of the battery.

Example 18

medium

A series circuit has

3\,\Omega

and

6\,\Omega

resistors and a current of

2

A. What is the source voltage?

Example 19

challenge

Two resistors in series across

20

V give drops in the ratio

2:3

. Find both drops, and if the smaller resistor is

4\,\Omega

, the current.

Example 20

easy

Resistors

5\,\Omega

and

7\,\Omega

are in series. Find the total resistance.

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Related Concepts

Circuit Resistance Ohm's Law Parallel Circuit Circuit Diagram Kirchhoff's Laws