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Course/Year/Section: ___________________

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Total: 100%

ACTIVITY

06
Series Circuits

In a series circuit, the components are connected with only one path for the passage of current.
The series pat is made by connecting the end of one component to the end of the next component.

The purpose of a series circuit is to connect the different components that needed the same
current. The individual voltages across each of series components can have different values.

What You Will learn.

- Analyze the connection in a series circuit
- Compute the total resistance, voltage, and power accurately in a series circuit.
- Construct a simple series circuit.
- Explain the different applications of series circuits.
Whats the word?
Series
Voltage drop
Path
Power
Resistance

Pretest.
A. Fill in the blank with the correct answer.

____________ 1. This is a type of connection where the components are connected with only one path
for the passage of the current.

____________ 2. This is the movement of changes between two points produced by the applied voltage.

____________ 3. This is the result when one component is busted in a series circuit.

____________ 4. This is the formula in getting the total resistance in a series.

____________ 5. This is the formula in getting the total resistance in solving the total power in a series.
 B. Give the five characteristics of series circuits. Write them on the blanks.
1. __________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________________

Series connection

An electric current is a movement of changes between two points produced by the applied
voltage. When the components are connected in a successive order, they form a series circuit.

Examples of series circuits

Bulb
 Resistor

Cell or Battery

Characteristics of Series Circuits

1. The current is constant or the same throughout the circuit.

2. The total voltage across a series circuit is divided among the individual electrical components in
the circuit. The sum of the voltage drops across each individual device is equal to the voltage
supplied by the source.
3. The current will not flow when one component in the circuit is open or busted.
4. The total resistance t the current in the circuit is the sum of the individual resistances along the
circuit path.
5. Power is added to the circuit.

Mathematical Computation for a Resistor in a Series Circuit.

Equivalent Resistance and Current

Charge flows together through the external circuit at a rate that is everywhere the same. The current is
no greater at one location as it is at another location. The actual amount of current varies inversely with
the amount of overall resistance. There is a clear relationship between the resistance of the individual
resistors and the overall resistance of the collection of resistors. As far as the battery that is pumping the
charge is concerned, the presence of two 6- resistors in series would be equivalent to having one 12-
resistor in the circuit. The presence of three 6- resistors in series would be equivalent to having one
18- resistor in the circuit. And the presence of four 6- resistors in series would be equivalent to
having one 24- resistor in the circuit.

This is the concept of equivalent resistance. The equivalent resistance of a circuit is the amount of
resistance that a single resistor would need in order to equal the overall affect of the collection of
resistors that are present in the circuit. For series circuits, the mathematical formula for computing the
equivalent resistance (Req) is

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...
where R1, R2, and R3 are the resistance values of the individual resistors that are connected in series.

The current in a series circuit is everywhere the same. Charge does NOT pile up and begin to accumulate
at any given location such that the current at one location is more than at other locations. Charge does
NOT become used up by resistors such that there is less of it at one location compared to another. The
charges can be thought of as marching together through the wires of an electric circuit, everywhere
marching at the same rate. Current - the rate at which charge flows - is everywhere the same. It is the
same at the first resistor as it is at the last resistor as it is in the battery. Mathematically, one might write

Ibattery = I1 = I2 = I3 = ...
where I1, I2, and I3 are the current values at the individual resistor locations.

These current values are easily calculated if the battery voltage is known and the individual resistance
values are known. Using the individual resistor values and the equation above, the equivalent resistance
can be calculated. And using Ohm's law ( V = I R), the current in the battery and thus through every
resistor can be determined by finding the ratio of the battery voltage and the equivalent resistance.

Ibattery = I1 = I2 = I3 = Vbattery / Req

Electric Potential Difference and Voltage Drops
The electrochemical cell of a circuit supplies energy to the charge to move it through the cell and to
establish an electric potential difference across the two ends of the external circuit. A 1.5-volt cell will
establish an electric potential difference across the external circuit of 1.5 volts. This is to say that the
electric potential at the positive terminal is 1.5 volts greater than at the negative terminal. As charge
moves through the external circuit, it encounters a loss of 1.5 volts of electric potential. This loss in
electric potential is referred to as a voltage drop. It occurs as the electrical energy of the charge is
transformed to other forms of energy (thermal, light, mechanical, etc.) within the resistors or loads. If an
electric circuit powered by a 1.5-volt cell is equipped with more than one resistor, then the cumulative
loss of electric potential is 1.5 volts. There is a voltage drop for each resistor, but the sum of these
voltage drops is 1.5 volts - the same as the voltage rating of the power supply. This concept can be
expressed mathematically by the following equation:

Vbattery = V1 + V2 + V3 + ...

An electric potential diagram is a conceptual tool for representing the electric potential difference
between several points on an electric circuit. Consider the circuit diagram below and its corresponding
electric potential diagram.

The circuit shown in the diagram above is powered by a 12-volt energy source. There are three resistors
in the circuit connected in series, each having its own voltage drop. The negative sign for the electric
potential difference simply denotes that there is a loss in electric potential when passing through the
resistor. Conventional current is directed through the external circuit from the positive terminal to the
negative terminal. Since the schematic symbol for a voltage source uses a long bar to represent the
positive terminal, location A in the diagram is at the positive terminal or the high potential terminal.
Location A is at 12 volts of electric potential and location H (the negative terminal) is at 0 volts. In
passing through the battery, the charge gains 12 volts of electric potential. And in passing through the
external circuit, the charge loses 12 volts of electric potential as depicted by the electric potential
diagram shown to the right of the schematic diagram. This 12 volts
of electric potential is lost in three steps with each step
corresponding to the flow through a resistor. In passing through
the connecting wires between resistors, there is little loss in electric
potential due to the fact that a wire offers relatively little resistance
to the flow of charge. Since locations A and B are separated by a
wire, they are at virtually the same electric potential of 12 V. When
a charge passes through its first resistor, it loses 3 V of electric potential and drops down to 9 V at
location C. Since location D is separated from location C by a mere wire, it is at virtually the same 9 V
electric potential as C. When a charge passes through its second resistor, it loses 7 V of electric potential
and drops down to 2 V at location E. Since location F is separated from location E by a mere wire, it is at
virtually the same 2 V electric potential as E. Finally, as a charge passes through its last resistor, it loses 2
V of electric potential and drops down to 0 V at G. At locations G and H, the charge is out of energy and
needs an energy boost in order to traverse the external circuit again. The energy boost is provided by
the battery as the charge is moved from H to A.

In Lesson 3, Ohm's law ( V = I R) was introduced as an equation that relates the voltage drop across a
resistor to the resistance of the resistor and the current at the resistor. The Ohm's law equation can be
used for any individual resistor in a series circuit. When combining Ohm's law with some of the
principles already discussed on this page, a big idea emerges.

In series circuits, the resistor with the greatest resistance has the greatest
voltage drop.

Since the current is everywhere the same within a series circuit, the I value of V = I R is the same in
each of the resistors of a series circuit. So the voltage drop ( V) will vary with varying resistance.
Wherever the resistance is greatest, the voltage drop will be greatest about that resistor. The Ohm's law
equation can be used to not only predict that resistor in a series circuit will have the greatest voltage
drop, it can also be used to calculate the actual voltage drop values.

V1 = I R1 V2 = I R2 V3 = I R3
The analysis begins by using the resistance values for the individual resistors in order to determine the
equivalent resistance of the circuit.

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 = 17 + 12 + 11 = 40
Now that the equivalent resistance is known, the current at the battery can be determined using the
Ohm's law equation. In using the Ohm's law equation ( V = I R) to determine the current in the circuit,
it is important to use the battery voltage for V and the equivalent resistance for R. The calculation is
shown here:

Itot = Vbattery / Req = (60 V) / (40 ) = 1.5 amp

The 1.5 amp value for current is the current at the battery location. For a series circuit with no branching
locations, the current is everywhere the same. The current at the battery location is the same as the
current at each resistor location. Subsequently, the 1.5 amp is the value of I1, I2, and I3.

Ibattery = I1 = I2 = I3 = 1.5 amp

There are three values left to be determined - the voltage drops across each of the individual resistors.
Ohm's law is used once more to determine the voltage drops for each resistor - it is simply the product
of the current at each resistor (calculated above as 1.5 amp) and the resistance of each resistor (given in
the problem statement). The calculations are shown below.

V1 = I1 R1 V2 = I2 R2 V3 = I3 R3
V1 = (1.5 A) (17 ) V2 = (1.5 A) (12 ) V3 = (1.5 A) (11 )

V1 = 25.5 V V2 = 18 V V3 = 16.5 V

As a check of the accuracy of the mathematics performed, it is wise to see if the calculated values satisfy
the principle that the sum of the voltage drops for each individual resistor is equal to the voltage rating
of the battery. In other words, is Vbattery = V1 + V2 + V3 ?

Compute for the total resistance, total power, and total current of the following:

Given: 1 = 10 4 = 40

2 = 20 = 100 volts

3 = 30

Find:

= = =
 What I Have Learned

YES NO

1. I can explain how a series circuit

works.
2. I can compute the total resistance,
voltage, and power accurately in a
series circuit.
3. I can construct a simple series
circuit.
4. I can explain the different
applications of series circuits.

Post-Test
A. Fill in the blank with the correct answer.

____________ 1. This is a type of connection where the components are connected with only one path
for the passage of the current.

____________ 2. This is the movement of changes between two points produced by the applied voltage.

____________ 3. This is the result when one component is busted in a series circuit.

____________ 4. This is the formula in getting the total resistance in a series.

____________ 5. This is the formula in getting the total resistance in solving the total power in a series.
 B. Give the five characteristics of series circuits. Write them on the blanks.
6. __________________________________________________________________________
7. __________________________________________________________________________
8. __________________________________________________________________________
9. __________________________________________________________________________
10. __________________________________________________________________________

Work Shop.
Materials:

2 pieces carbon resistors of any value

1m red connecting stranded wire number 22

1m black connecting stranded wire number 22

1m soldering lead 60/40

1 piece or 2 piece cells or batteries (1.5 volts or 9 volts)

Tools:

VOM

Soldering iron

Long nose and side cutters

Procedure:

1. Construct the circuit below. Measure the voltage of each resistor.

2. Fill in the data below.

Voltmeter Actual Reading

Resistor Number Value

3. Construct or assemble the circuit shown below and measure the resistance of each
resistor.

4. Answer the data below.

Ohmmeter Actual Reading

Resistor Number Value

2
5. Construct or assemble the circuit shown below and measure the current of each
resistor.

6. Fill in the data below.

Milliammeter Actual Reading

Resistor Number Value