Red Seal Electrician Practice
DC circuitsQuestion 584 of 1506

Electrons enter one end of a resistor and leave at the other end. How is the voltage drop across the resistor marked?

  1. The entering end is positive, and the exiting end is negative.
  2. The entering end is negative, and the exiting end is positive.
  3. Both ends are positive, because the current is the same at both ends.
  4. The polarity depends on the resistor value, and large resistors reverse it.
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Correct answer: The entering end is negative, and the exiting end is positive.

The end the electron flow enters is negative with respect to the end it exits.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 2.8: Polarity of voltage drops

Practice dc circuits

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026