In a parallel circuit, adding more branches generally causes the total current to

In a parallel circuit, adding more branches generally causes the total current to

• A. Increase
• B. Decrease
• C. Remain the same
• D. Become negative

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, currents add up. The voltage across every branch is the same, so each branch draws I = V/R. Adding another branch creates an extra path for current, giving an additional current I_new = V/R_new. Therefore the total current from the source becomes the sum of all branch currents, increasing as you add more branches (equivalently, the total resistance drops because 1/R_eq = sum of 1/R_i). It wouldn’t go negative, and it wouldn’t stay the same unless the new branch drew no current (an open circuit).

In a parallel circuit, currents add up. The voltage across every branch is the same, so each branch draws I = V/R. Adding another branch creates an extra path for current, giving an additional current I_new = V/R_new. Therefore the total current from the source becomes the sum of all branch currents, increasing as you add more branches (equivalently, the total resistance drops because 1/R_eq = sum of 1/R_i). It wouldn’t go negative, and it wouldn’t stay the same unless the new branch drew no current (an open circuit).