Automotive Electronics Practice Test

The higher the resistance of a load in a series circuit, the __________ the voltage drops across that load.

1. Less

2. Equal

3. More

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: More

In a series circuit, the total voltage supplied by the power source is divided among the loads connected in that circuit. According to Ohm's law, the voltage across a load can be calculated as the product of the current flowing through the load and its resistance (V = I × R). As the resistance of a load increases while the current remains constant, the voltage drop across that load also increases. This is because a higher resistance requires a larger voltage to maintain the same current. Therefore, when you have a load with higher resistance, it draws more voltage compared to loads with lower resistance in the same circuit. In summary, an increase in the load resistance leads to a greater voltage drop across that specific load, which supports the reasoning behind choosing "more" as the correct answer.