ESA Certified Alarm Technician Practice Exam

In a series connection, how is voltage affected?

1. It remains the same

2. It is divided

3. It fluctuates

4. It is accumulative

The correct answer is: It is accumulative

In a series connection, the voltage is distributed across all components connected in the circuit. Each component receives a portion of the total voltage supplied by the power source, and the sum of the individual voltages across these components equals the total voltage. Thus, while it might seem that voltage accumulates in the sense that each component has a voltage drop, the correct understanding is that the total input voltage is divided among the components. The total voltage remains constant at the power source, but it isn't accurate to describe the voltage as accumulative in a series connection, since it is actually divided based on the resistance of each component. Hence, the arrangement and the total resistance impact how much voltage each component receives, leading to overall voltage reduction rather than accumulation. Therefore, the effect of a series connection on voltage is indeed that it is divided among the components.