Arizona Esthetics State Board Practice Exam

In a series circuit, the total resistance is:

1. The sum of all resistances

2. The average of all resistances

3. The product of all resistances

4. Always equal to one resistance

The correct answer is: The sum of all resistances

In a series circuit, the total resistance is indeed the sum of all individual resistances. This fundamental concept in electrical engineering illustrates how components connected end-to-end in a single path contribute to the overall resistance experienced by the circuit. When resistors are arranged in series, the current that flows through them is the same, but each resistor contributes its own resistance to the total. To calculate the total resistance, you simply add together the resistance values of each resistor in the series. For example, if there are three resistors with resistance values of 2 ohms, 3 ohms, and 5 ohms, the total resistance would be 2 + 3 + 5 = 10 ohms. This principle is crucial for understanding how circuits operate and is foundational in both theoretical and practical applications in electronics. In contrast, the other options suggest different methods of combining resistances that do not accurately reflect how series connections function in an electrical circuit.