Series and parallel circuits

Answer Key - Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

1. 1.

   Resistors of 12 Ω, 3 Ω and 15 Ω are joined in series. What is the total resistance, Bo?

   30 Ω
2. 2.

   Resistors of 2.5 Ω, 7.5 Ω and 6 Ω are joined in series. What is the total resistance, Esme?

   16 Ω

3. Read this first

   Use this

   Circuit schematics (example data), side by side. Series: a 6 V battery with a 2 Ω and a 4 Ω resistor in one loop; an ammeter reads 1 A. Parallel: a 6 V battery with a 2 Ω and a 4 Ω resistor on separate branches; the branch ammeters read 3 A and 1.5 A.

4. 3.

   In the schematics, what current flows through the 4 Ω resistor in the series circuit, Jun?

   • 1 A
   • 3 A
   • 1.5 A
5. 4.

   In the schematics, which circuit draws more current from its battery, Luz?

   • The parallel one, at 4.5 A
   • They draw the same
   • The series one, at 1 A
6. 5.

   Three bulbs are in series. One bulb is unscrewed. What happens to the other two, Milo?

   • They stay the same
   • They get brighter
   • They go out
7. 6.

   Three bulbs are in parallel. One bulb is unscrewed. What happens to the other two, Noah?

   • They stay lit
   • They flicker off and on
   • They go out
8. 7.

   Why are the lamps in a house wired in parallel, Pia?

   • Each gets full voltage and a switch
   • So they share the voltage
   • So one switch turns the whole house off
9. 8.

   In a series circuit, how does the current through each resistor compare, Ren?

   • It is shared out
   • It is the same
   • It is biggest in the first resistor
10. 9.

    In a parallel circuit, how does the voltage across each branch compare with the battery's, Tala?

    • It is split among the branches
    • It is zero
    • The same as the battery's
11. 10.

    In a series circuit on a 9 V battery, what do the voltages across the parts add up to, Zee?

    • 9 V
    • 0 V
    • 18 V