In a parallel circuit, which statement is true?

In a parallel circuit, which statement is true?

• A. The current through each branch is the same
• B. The voltage across each branch is the same
• C. The total resistance decreases as more branches are added in parallel
• D. The power dissipated by each device is the same as in a single-device circuit

Answer: (C)

Parallel connections provide multiple paths for current, so adding another branch changes how the circuit behaves as a whole. When you include more branches, the total (equivalent) resistance seen by the source becomes smaller because more paths for current effectively increase conductance. This is captured by the rule for resistors in parallel: 1/R_total equals the sum of 1/R_i; adding a branch raises that sum, so R_total decreases. With a fixed supply voltage, a smaller R_total means more current is drawn from the source, which is a key feature of parallel circuits. The other statements aren’t as universally defining: the voltage across each branch is the same in an ideal parallel circuit, but that fact does not describe how adding branches changes the circuit’s total resistance; the current splits and isn’t the same in every branch; and the power dissipated by each device isn’t guaranteed to match what it would be in a single-device circuit, especially if the source isn’t an ideal voltage source.

Parallel connections provide multiple paths for current, so adding another branch changes how the circuit behaves as a whole. When you include more branches, the total (equivalent) resistance seen by the source becomes smaller because more paths for current effectively increase conductance. This is captured by the rule for resistors in parallel: 1/R_total equals the sum of 1/R_i; adding a branch raises that sum, so R_total decreases. With a fixed supply voltage, a smaller R_total means more current is drawn from the source, which is a key feature of parallel circuits. The other statements aren’t as universally defining: the voltage across each branch is the same in an ideal parallel circuit, but that fact does not describe how adding branches changes the circuit’s total resistance; the current splits and isn’t the same in every branch; and the power dissipated by each device isn’t guaranteed to match what it would be in a single-device circuit, especially if the source isn’t an ideal voltage source.