Question

Carla draws two circuit diagrams that connect the same components in different ways, as shown.

Answer 1

Answer:

Circuit A is a series circuit

The total resistance in Circuit A is greater than that in Circuit B

Explanation:

Circuit A is a series circuit due to its arrangements. The current flowing through the loads in a series circuit is always the same due to absence of branch compared to parallel circuit that possesses branches between the loads (resistors).

Also, the effective resistance in a series circuit(Circuit A) is greater because the effective resistance of a series connected loads is the sum of the individual resistances compared to parallel circuit (Circuit B) that its effective resistance is the sum of the "reciprocal" of its individual resistances. Taking the reciprocal of a number always reduces the value of such number hence the reason behind parallel circuit having less effective resistance compare to the series connected loads.

Answer 2

Answer:

Circuit A is a series circuit

The total resistance in Circuit A is greater than that in Circuit B

Explanation:

The missing diagram is here attached. For circuit A, considering that in a series circuit, the current through each load is the same and the total voltage across the circuit is the sum of the voltages across each load. Moreover, current flowing through each resistor in a parallel circuit is different, depending on the resistance. Therefore, we can say that when resistors are connected in parallel, more current flows from the source than flow for any of them individually, so the total resistance is lower.