What can you say about the combination of the circuit elements in the following figure?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → They are in series combination.
Elements are in series when they are joined end to end in a single path. So the same current passes through each of them. They are in parallel when each is connected between the same two points.
Option (1) They are in parallel combination. — Incorrect. In the figure, no two of R, L and C are joined between the same pair of points. Each element connects to the next one along the loop.
Option (2) They are in parallel combination with the voltage source. — Incorrect. For that, each element would have to be connected directly across the two terminals of the source. From the figure, only the resistor touches one terminal and only the inductor touches the other, with the capacitor between them.
Option (3) They are in series combination. — Correct. From the figure, the source, the resistor, the capacitor and the inductor follow one another around one closed loop with no branch point. So the same ac current flows through R, L and C at every instant.
Option (4) L and C are in parallel with R. — Incorrect. L and C would then form separate branches joined to both ends of R. From the figure, there is no junction where the current can split. The inductor and capacitor lie in the same loop after the resistor.
NCERT (2026-27):
Phasor-Diagram Solution – “… we see that the resistor, inductor and capacitor are in series. Therefore, the ac current in each element is the same at any time, having the same amplitude and phase.”