Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

In a series circuit, how does the failure of one component typically affect the rest of the circuit?

1. Only that component stops working

2. All components continue to function normally

3. All components stop working

4. Only the lights in that section stop working

The correct answer is: All components stop working

In a series circuit, all components are connected in a single loop, meaning that the current must pass through each component sequentially. If one component in the circuit fails—for example, if a light bulb burns out or a resistor is damaged—the flow of electricity is interrupted at that point. As a result, the entire circuit ceases to function. Therefore, all components that rely on that uninterrupted flow of current will also stop operating. This is in contrast to parallel circuits, where the failure of one component does not affect the others because each component has its own separate path for the current. In a series configuration, since the components are dependent on each other for current flow, the failure of one component impacts the entire circuit, leading to a complete failure of operation for all components connected in that series.