Question

What is the difference between final potential difference and total potential difference in series circuit?

Answer 1

Final potential difference is the voltage across individual series circuit component whereas the total potential difference is the voltage across the entire circuit.

When two or more components are connected in series, the total potential difference of the supply is shared between them. This means that if you add together the voltages across each component connected in series, the total equals the voltage of the power supply.

Two identical resistors connected in series will share the potential difference. They will get half each. For example if two identical resistors are connected in series to a 3 V cell then the potential difference across each of them is 1.5 V.

If resistors connected in series are not the same then the potential difference is larger across the larger of the resistors.