Question

The same current flows in each resistor when the two resistors joined with a battery in:
A) Series
B) Parallel
C) Series and parallel
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: A resistor limits the flow of charge or current in a circuit. The net current flowing in a circuit is determined by the combination of the resistances in the circuit.

Complete step by step answer:
As mentioned in the hint, the current in a circuit is determined by the amount of resistance in the circuit. If several resistors are connected together and connected to a power supply, the current supplied by the battery depends on the equivalent resistance of the circuit.
The equivalent resistance on the other hand depends on the configuration of the resistors in the circuit. It also depends on the individual values of the resistors. There are two kinds of combinations of configurations possible for the combination of resistors.
In a parallel combination, two resistors are connected such that both the terminals of the resistors will have the same potential difference across them. In this case, the current is not the same in both the resistors but the total current is divided into two parts based on the inverse ratio of the resistance of the two resistors.
In a series combination, two resistors are connected such that the output of the first resistor is connected to the input of the second resistor. In this case, the current in both the resistors is the same.

Hence, option (A) is the correct choice.

Note: A defining characteristic of the series combination of resistors is that the same current flows through both the resistors however it is not the only condition. For two resistors, their terminals must be in contact with each other only for them to be in a series combination.