Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade Series and parallel circuits worksheet

6 printable versionsChallenge Me10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version

Series and parallel circuits

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

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

A 12 V battery feeds a 1 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of 6 Ω and 3 Ω. What current leaves the battery, Ari?
A 9 V battery feeds a 1.5 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of 4 Ω and 4 Ω. What current leaves the battery, Bo?
A 6 V battery feeds a 3 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of 12 Ω and 12 Ω. What current leaves the battery, Esme?
4.
How can 4 Ω resistors be joined to make 12 Ω, Kira?
- Three in series
- Three in parallel
- Two in parallel
5.
Five 30 Ω resistors are joined in parallel. What is their combined resistance, Luz?
- 6 Ω
- 30 Ω
- 150 Ω
6.
Milo says adding more lamps in parallel to one battery makes the total resistance go up. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: it goes down
- Agree: parallel resistances add
- Agree: more lamps mean more resistance
7.
Noah says a 6 Ω and a 3 Ω resistor in parallel make more than 6 Ω. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: parallel doubles the biggest
- Agree: they make 9 Ω
- Disagree: they make 2 Ω
8.
Pia says the first bulb in a series string gets more current than the last. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: the current gets used up along the way
- Disagree: they all get the same current
- Agree: the first bulb is nearest the battery
9.
A 12 V battery runs three resistors in series. Two have 5 V and 3 V across them. What is across the third, Tala?
- 8 V
- 4 V
- 20 V
10.
Why must the current into a junction equal the current out, Zee?
- Junctions speed up current
- Wires store extra charge
- Charge isn't lost or made there

11th grade Series and parallel circuits worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Series and parallel circuits. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can find equivalent resistance: series resistors add, and two in parallel give R₁R₂ ÷ (R₁ + R₂). Equal resistors in parallel give R ÷ n.
I can use the rules: series parts share one current and their voltages add; parallel branches share one voltage and their currents add.
I can solve a series resistor plus a parallel pair, and use junction and loop rules.
I can predict what bulbs do: in series they all go out together; in parallel they stay lit. Adding a parallel branch lowers the total resistance.

Standard: none (TX, FL)

Words to know

series: Parts joined one after another in a single loop

parallel: Parts on separate branches between the same two points

equivalent resistance: The one resistance that could replace a group of resistors

branch: One path in a parallel circuit

junction: A point where current splits or joins

Common mistakes

Your child averaged the resistors. In series, resistances add: R = R₁ + R₂ + R₃.

Your child added parallel resistors. In parallel, the total is less than either branch: R = R₁R₂ ÷ (R₁ + R₂).

Your child treated every resistor as in series. Combine the parallel pair first, then add the series resistor.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with series and parallel circuits?

Your child averaged the resistors. In series, resistances add: R = R₁ + R₂ + R₃.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More physics

See all Physics

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records