False. The potential difference (voltage) across two components in series is not always the same; it only matches if the components share certain properties, like equal resistance.

Quick Scoop

  • In a series circuit:
    • The same current flows through every component.
* The **total potential difference** from the cell/battery is shared (divided) between the components.
  • Because the voltage is shared, different components usually have different potential differences across them, unless they are identical in how they oppose current (e.g., same resistance).

Why the statement is false

The statement was:

“The potential difference across two components connected in series will always be the same.”

This is false because:

  1. The rule for series is:
    • Total voltage VtotalV_{\text{total}}Vtotal​ = V1+V2+V3+…V_1+V_2+V_3+\dots V1​+V2​+V3​+….
  1. How that total is shared depends on each component:
    • A component with higher resistance takes a larger share of the voltage.
    • A component with lower resistance takes a smaller share.
  1. Therefore, in general, two different components in series will have different potential differences across them.

Simple example (story-style)

Imagine a 12 V battery and two resistors in series:

  • Resistor A: 4 Ω
  • Resistor B: 8 Ω

They are in the same loop, so the same current flows through both.
Because B has double the resistance of A, it “uses up” more energy per unit charge, so the voltage across B is bigger than across A.

A typical result could be:

  • Voltage across A: 4 V
  • Voltage across B: 8 V
  • Total: 4 V + 8 V = 12 V (matches the battery).

Clearly, the potential differences are not the same. If, instead, you had two identical resistors in series (same resistance), then the 12 V would be shared equally: 6 V across each.

In that special case only , the potential differences would be the same—but that’s not “always,” so the statement is still false.

Key contrast: series vs parallel

  • Series:
    • Same current.
    • Voltages usually different and add up to the supply.
  • Parallel:
    • Same voltage across each branch.
    • Currents can be different in each branch.

So “always the same potential difference” is actually a correct idea for parallel branches, not for components in series.

Final verdict:
The statement “the potential difference across two components connected in series will always be the same” is false. It is only equal when the components are identical in how they resist current, which is a special case, not a general rule.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.