In a series circuit, which quantity is divided between loads?

• A. Voltage
• B. Current
• C. Resistance
• D. Power

Answer: (A)

In a series circuit the same current flows through every load, while the supply voltage is shared among them. This happens because the current is fixed by the total resistance, and the voltage drop across each load adds up to the total source voltage. So the quantity that is divided between loads is voltage.

Think of it with Ohm’s law: the voltage drop across each load is V = I × R. Since the current I is the same everywhere in the loop, each load takes a portion of the total voltage proportional to its resistance. For example, with a 5 V source and two resistors in series, 2 Ω and 3 Ω, the current is 1 A, so the voltage drops are 2 V and 3 V, which sum to 5 V. If you change the resistances, their voltage shares change, but the current stays the same through all loads.