Question

Which of the following is an incorrect statement? a) The currents through electronic devices connected in series are equal. b) The potential drops across electronic devices connected in parallel are equal. c) More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in parallel. d) More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in series.

Short answer

a) Currents through electronic devices connected in series are equal. b) Potential drops across electronic devices connected in parallel are equal. c) More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in parallel. d) More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in series. Answer: d) More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in series.

Step-by-step solution

Statement a: Currents through electronic devices connected in series are equal.

This statement is correct. When electronic devices are connected in series, it means that they are connected one after the other in a single path. In such a configuration, the current flowing through each device is the same since there is only one path for the current to flow.

Statement b: Potential drops across electronic devices connected in parallel are equal.

This statement is also correct. When electronic devices are connected in parallel, it means that they are connected in multiple paths such that their terminals are directly connected to each other. In this case, the potential difference (or voltage) across each device is the same because they are all connected to the same voltage source.

Statement c: More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in parallel.

This statement is correct as well. When two resistors are connected in parallel, the total current passing through the circuit gets divided among the resistors. According to Ohm's Law, the current through a resistor is given by I = V/R, where I is the current, V is the voltage, and R is the resistance. Since the voltage across both resistors is the same in a parallel connection, the current flowing through the smaller resistor will be higher than the current flowing through the larger resistor.

Statement d: More current flows across the smaller resistance when two resistors are connected in series.

This statement is incorrect. When two resistors are connected in series, the current flowing through both resistors is the same. The voltage, however, will drop across each resistor such that the sum of the potential differences across the resistors equals the total voltage supplied by the source. Therefore, in a series connection, the current flowing through each resistor is independent of their resistances. The incorrect statement is (d).