If a break occurs in one branch of a parallel circuit, what happens to the other branches?

If a break occurs in one branch of a parallel circuit, what happens to the other branches?

• A. The whole circuit fails
• B. Other branches continue to operate
• C. Current stops in the power source
• D. Voltage collapses across all branches

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, each branch is connected directly across the same two nodes and thus across the same supply voltage. If one branch breaks, that path becomes open and carries no current, but the other branches still have a complete path from the source to return, so they continue to conduct according to their own resistances. The total current drawn from the source drops because there’s one less path, but the voltage across the working branches remains essentially the source voltage. That’s why the other branches keep operating. The whole circuit doesn’t fail, current doesn’t stop in the power source, and the intact branches don’t experience a collapse in voltage.

In a parallel circuit, each branch is connected directly across the same two nodes and thus across the same supply voltage. If one branch breaks, that path becomes open and carries no current, but the other branches still have a complete path from the source to return, so they continue to conduct according to their own resistances. The total current drawn from the source drops because there’s one less path, but the voltage across the working branches remains essentially the source voltage. That’s why the other branches keep operating. The whole circuit doesn’t fail, current doesn’t stop in the power source, and the intact branches don’t experience a collapse in voltage.