Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) Practice Exam

When three resistors are connected in series, the term that best describes their arrangement is "Voltage Divider." In a series connection, the total voltage across the combination of resistors is divided among them according to their resistances. The voltage drop across each resistor can be calculated using Ohm's law (V = IR) and the voltage division rule. In this scenario, the resistors share the total input voltage based on their resistance values, with the sum of the individual voltage drops across all resistors equal to the total voltage supplied to the circuit. This is the fundamental principle of a voltage divider, making "Voltage Divider" the correct term to describe three resistors in series. Other options don't accurately characterize the behavior of resistors in a series circuit. A voltage adder would imply that voltages are being added, which is not the case here, and both current adder and current divider refer to different configurations, such as parallel connections. In parallel, current may split among branches, which does not apply to this series arrangement. Thus, "Voltage Divider" appropriately encapsulates the function and operation of the three resistors connected in series.