Series and Parallel Circuits
Test Review
I. Complete the following:
1. Series circuits have only _______ path. The _______________, ________________, and ______________
add around the circuit. The ______________ is constant.
2. Parallel circuits have __________ __________ one path. The ________________ and _______________
add around the circuit. The resistance ________________ add to give the _________________ resistance. The
_______________ is constant.
3. To solve circuit problems set up a ________________. Fill in the information that is ______________ and
_______________ for that type of circuit. Use ____________ ____________ to complete columns and the
______________________________ of that type of circuit to complete ___________.
4. Complex or ______________________ circuits have parts that are connected in ______________ and parts
that are connected in ________________________. To find the values in these circuits create a ____________,
keep simplifying until you have a ________________ circuit, and then solve using the _______________ for
series and parallel.
5. When you add cells in series, ____________________ terminals are connected to ____________________
terminals. __________________ is constant. __________ and _________________ ____________________
adds. The result is ________________ voltage over a ______________ period of time.
6. When you add cells in parallel, _____________________ terminals are connected to __________________
terminals. __________ is constant. _______________ and the reciprocals of internal ___________________
add. Provides _________________ over a _______________ period of time.
7. All batteries have _________________ resistance because ______________ is used to drive the
_________________ through the battery. The _________________________ ___________ (EMF) is the
amount of _____________ circuit energy. The ___________________ ________________ (VT) is the
_____________ circuit reading is always less than the ___________ due to the internal ___________________.
8. Kirchhoff’s First Law states that the ____________ current into a junction is ___________ to the _________
current leaving the junction because of the __________ of conservation of ___________________.
9. Kirchhoff’s Second Law states that the algebraic ____________ of the changes in potential _____________
occurring in any closed loop is ____________ due to the ___________ of conservation of ________________.
10. The sign conventions for Kirchhoff’s 2nd Law are: crossing a battery with current _____V, against _____ V
and crossing a resistor with current _____ IR, against current _____ IR.
II. True or False:
T
T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
F
Adding a resistor to a parallel circuit decreases the total resistance.
If one resistor is turned off in a series circuit, the current through all the other resistors remains the same.
In a parallel circuit, the smallest resistor dissipates the most power.
The voltage drop across a resistor in a series circuit is proportional to its resistance.
Adding a resistor to a series circuit decreases the total resistance.
III. Complete the tables/Fill in all blanks:
R2 = 1000 
R1 = 500 Ω
50 V
R2 = 500 Ω
50 V
R1 = 500 Ω
R3 = 1000 
R3 = 1000 Ω
VT = _____
IT = _____
RT = _____
PT = _____
V1 = _____
I1 = _____
R1 = _____
P1 = _____
V2 = _____ V3 = _____
I2 = _____ I3 = _____
R2 = _____ R3 = _____
P2 = _____ P3 = _____
VT = _____
IT = _____
RT = _____
PT = _____
R3 = 500 
R1 = 500 
100 V
V1 = _____ V2 = _____ V3 = _____
I1 = _____ I2 = _____ I3 = _____
R1 = _____ R2 = _____ R3 = _____
P1 = _____ P2 = _____ P3 = _____
R2 = 1000 
VT = _____
IT = _____
RT = _____
PT = _____
R4 = 500 
V1 = _____ V2 = _____ V3 = _____
I1 = _____ I2 = _____ I3 = _____
R1 = _____ R2 = _____ R3 = _____
P1 = _____ P2 = _____ P3 = _____
Top Loop Equation:
____________________
Bottom Loop Equation:
____________________
I2
V4 = _____
I4 = _____
R4 = _____
P4 = _____
Equation:
_________________
I3
I1
I4
I5
If I1 = 50 A
I2 = 8 A
I3 = 12 A
I4 = 20 A
Then, I5 = _____ A
IV. Solve the following problems: (Use a separate sheet of paper, show work including table.)
1. Two lamps having a resistance of 100 Ohms and 200 Ohms are connected in series across a 150 V battery.
What is the current through the lamp? What is the voltage drop across each resistor?
2. Four resistors of equal value are in parallel, with 120 V across them. The total current is 2 A. Determine the
value of each resistor.
3. In a kitchen, three 75 W bulbs are connected in parallel across 120 V. All three bulbs are on. At 6:00 am, a
360 W coffeepot also in parallel is turned on. Calculate the total current drawn.
4. The terminal voltage of a 24-V battery is 22.0 V and the current in the circuit is 2.00 A. What are the internal
resistance of the battery and the resistance of the circuit resistor?
5. A dry cell has an EMF of 1.5 V and an internal resistance of 0.2 Ω. If the terminal voltage is 1.2 V, what
current is delivered to the external circuit?
Answers to problems: 1. 0.5A, 50V, 100V
2. 240 ea.
3. 4.875A
4. 1, 11
5. 1.5A