How do you calculate the total resistance in a series circuit?

To determine the total resistance in a series circuit, you add all the individual resistances together. This is because, in a series configuration, the current flowing through each resistor remains the same, and the overall resistance that the current encounters is the sum of the individual resistances.

When resistors are connected in series, each additional resistor increases the total resistance. Therefore, the formula used is simply:

[ R_{total} = R_1 + R_2 + R_3 + ... + R_n ]

This summation reflects the cumulative effect of all the resistors on the flow of electric current.

The other methods listed do not appropriately represent how resistance behaves in a series circuit. Multiplying resistances together would be applicable in parallel circuits, while taking an average or subtracting the minimum from the maximum doesn't provide a meaningful measure of total resistance in the context of series circuits. Understanding this principle is fundamental to grasping circuit behavior and analysis in electrical engineering.