In a parallel circuit, what happens to the current at a junction where branches split?

In a parallel circuit, what happens to the current at a junction where branches split?

• A. It splits between the branches
• B. It flows through only the branch with the lowest resistance
• C. It stops at the junction
• D. It flows through all branches equally

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, the same voltage is across every branch, and the current flowing from a junction must be shared among those branches. The amount of current each branch gets is determined by its resistance (I = V/R), so the total current entering the junction equals the sum of the branch currents. This means the current splits between the branches rather than going entirely through one path, and it splits in proportion to how easy each path is to conduct. If the branch resistances are equal, the split is even; if they’re different, more current goes through the lower-resistance path, but current still flows in all branches (unless a branch is open).

In a parallel circuit, the same voltage is across every branch, and the current flowing from a junction must be shared among those branches. The amount of current each branch gets is determined by its resistance (I = V/R), so the total current entering the junction equals the sum of the branch currents. This means the current splits between the branches rather than going entirely through one path, and it splits in proportion to how easy each path is to conduct. If the branch resistances are equal, the split is even; if they’re different, more current goes through the lower-resistance path, but current still flows in all branches (unless a branch is open).