Which configuration usually results in higher resistance, series or parallel?

In electrical circuits, a series configuration results in higher resistance due to the nature of how resistors (or any components that resist the flow of electric current) are combined. When resistors are arranged in series, the total resistance of the circuit is simply the sum of the individual resistances. This is because the current must pass through each resistor one after the other, and each resistor adds its own resistance to the total.

For example, if you have two resistors in series, one with a resistance of 3 ohms and another with a resistance of 5 ohms, the total resistance of the combination would be 3 + 5 = 8 ohms. This increase in total resistance means it is more difficult for current to flow through the series circuit compared to a parallel configuration where resistors can provide multiple pathways for current.

In a parallel configuration, on the other hand, the total resistance decreases because the current can split and flow through multiple paths simultaneously. Each additional resistor in parallel effectively provides an alternate route for the electrons to pass, which reduces overall resistance.

Thus, in comparing the two configurations, series connections inherently lead to a higher total resistance than parallel configurations.