In a parallel circuit, if one branch breaks, current continues in the remaining branches?

In a parallel circuit, if one branch breaks, current continues in the remaining branches?

• A. It stops in all branches
• B. It doubles in the remaining branches
• C. It becomes zero in the battery
• D. It continues in the remaining branches

Answer: (D)

In a parallel circuit, all branches are connected across the same voltage source, so each branch can draw current independently based on its own resistance. If one branch breaks, that path simply opens and carries no current, but the remaining branches still have the full supply voltage across them and continue to conduct according to their resistances. So current continues in the remaining branches, and the total current drawn from the source decreases by the amount that was flowing through the broken branch. For example, with two parallel resistors across a 12 V source, one being 6 Ω (2 A) and the other 12 Ω (1 A), if the 6 Ω branch breaks, the 12 Ω branch still draws 1 A. The overall current from the source drops, but the surviving branch keeps current flowing.

In a parallel circuit, all branches are connected across the same voltage source, so each branch can draw current independently based on its own resistance. If one branch breaks, that path simply opens and carries no current, but the remaining branches still have the full supply voltage across them and continue to conduct according to their resistances. So current continues in the remaining branches, and the total current drawn from the source decreases by the amount that was flowing through the broken branch.

For example, with two parallel resistors across a 12 V source, one being 6 Ω (2 A) and the other 12 Ω (1 A), if the 6 Ω branch breaks, the 12 Ω branch still draws 1 A. The overall current from the source drops, but the surviving branch keeps current flowing.