In a series circuit, which statement correctly describes how current and voltage are distributed?

• A. Parallel: current splits according to resistance
• B. Series: same current flows; voltage divides proportionally to resistance.
• C. Series: voltage remains constant
• D. Parallel: same voltage across components; currents split inversely to resistance

Answer: (B)

In a series circuit, current stays the same through every component because there is only one path for the current to take. The total supply voltage is shared across the components, and how much voltage each component gets is proportional to its resistance. This comes from V = IR: if the current is the same for all elements, the voltage drop across each one is proportional to its resistance, so larger resistances take a bigger bite of the total voltage.

For example, with a 12 V source and two resistors in series, 2 Ω and 4 Ω, the total resistance is 6 Ω, so the current is 12/6 = 2 A. The voltage across the 2 Ω resistor is V = 2 A × 2 Ω = 4 V, and across the 4 Ω resistor it is V = 2 A × 4 Ω = 8 V. The voltages add up to 12 V and are in the ratio of 1:2, matching the resistances.

This is why the statement “same current flows; voltage divides proportionally to resistance” correctly describes a series circuit. The other options describe parallel behavior or incorrect voltage distribution in a series context.