What is the relationship between total resistance and individual resistances in a series circuit?

In a series circuit, the correct understanding of the relationship between total resistance and individual resistances is that the total resistance is the sum of all individual resistances. This means that if you have multiple resistors connected in series, the total resistance can be calculated by simply adding together the resistance values of each resistor in the circuit.

For instance, if you have three resistors with values of 2 ohms, 3 ohms, and 5 ohms connected in series, the total resistance would be 2 + 3 + 5, which equals 10 ohms. This principle is fundamental to circuit analysis and highlights how the configuration of components in a series affects the overall resistance faced by the current flowing through the circuit.

Other options propose different concepts that do not apply to series circuits, such as using products or asserting independence from individual resistances, which do not accurately reflect the nature of how series configurations operate.