What is the characteristic for total power in a series-parallel circuit?

In a series-parallel circuit, the total power is characterized as the sum of the power consumed by each individual resistor. This is because in such circuits, the overall power dissipated is the collective effect of all elements within the circuit. Each resistor or component can be analyzed separately to determine how much power it consumes, based on its resistance and the current passing through it (for series circuits) or the voltage across it (for parallel circuits).

When calculating power for each resistor, you can use the formulas ( P = I^2 R ) for resistors in series, and ( P = V^2 / R ) for those in parallel. After calculating the power for each resistor, adding these individual power values gives the total power consumed by the circuit. This characteristic is crucial for understanding energy distribution in complex circuits and is instrumental in designing circuits to ensure that they can handle the total power requirements without exceeding component ratings.

This option accurately reflects how total power is understood and calculated in series-parallel circuits, making it the correct choice.