Red Seal Electrician Practice
DC circuitsQuestion 685 of 1506

A series circuit has a battery and several resistors. How do the polarities of the resistor voltage drops compare with the battery polarity when traced around the loop?

  1. The drops have no polarity
  2. The drops alternate between positive and negative
  3. The drops are opposite to the battery polarity
  4. The drops have the same polarity as the battery
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Correct answer: The drops are opposite to the battery polarity

The resistors oppose the electron flow that the battery pushes, so their drops are in the opposite sense, and the loop adds up to zero.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 6.2: Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)

Practice dc circuits

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026