In a parallel circuit, how does current distribute among branches?

In a parallel circuit, how does current distribute among branches?

• A. It remains the same in each branch
• B. It is shared among branches
• C. It all goes through the first branch
• D. No current flows in branches

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, current is shared among the branches. The voltage across every branch is the same, but the amount of current each branch carries depends on that branch’s resistance. The branch current follows I = V/R, so lower resistance draws more current. The total current entering the parallel network is the sum of the branch currents: Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + ... For example, with a 12 V source, one branch is 3 Ω and another is 6 Ω. The currents are 12/3 = 4 A and 12/6 = 2 A, totaling 6 A. If the resistances were equal, the currents would be equal as well, but in general the currents split according to each branch’s resistance.

In a parallel circuit, current is shared among the branches. The voltage across every branch is the same, but the amount of current each branch carries depends on that branch’s resistance. The branch current follows I = V/R, so lower resistance draws more current. The total current entering the parallel network is the sum of the branch currents: Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + ...

For example, with a 12 V source, one branch is 3 Ω and another is 6 Ω. The currents are 12/3 = 4 A and 12/6 = 2 A, totaling 6 A. If the resistances were equal, the currents would be equal as well, but in general the currents split according to each branch’s resistance.