Which statement best describes current distribution in a parallel circuit?

Which statement best describes current distribution in a parallel circuit?

• A. Current is the same in all branches.
• B. Higher resistance branch carries more current.
• C. Branch currents are inversely proportional to their resistances.
• D. Current is independent of resistance.

Answer: (C)

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each branch is the same. Since current follows Ohm’s law, I = V/R, a fixed supply voltage means the branch current is inversely proportional to that branch’s resistance. So, branch currents are inversely proportional to their resistances: smaller resistance draws more current, larger resistance draws less. For example, across 10 V, a 5 Ω branch carries about 2 A and a 10 Ω branch carries about 1 A, giving currents in a 2:1 ratio that matches the inverse of the resistances. This is why the statement about branch currents being inversely proportional to their resistances is the best description of current distribution in parallel circuits. The other ideas don’t fit because current isn’t the same in all branches in parallel, and it isn’t independent of resistance—both are determined by Ohm’s law with the same branch voltage.

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each branch is the same. Since current follows Ohm’s law, I = V/R, a fixed supply voltage means the branch current is inversely proportional to that branch’s resistance. So, branch currents are inversely proportional to their resistances: smaller resistance draws more current, larger resistance draws less.

For example, across 10 V, a 5 Ω branch carries about 2 A and a 10 Ω branch carries about 1 A, giving currents in a 2:1 ratio that matches the inverse of the resistances. This is why the statement about branch currents being inversely proportional to their resistances is the best description of current distribution in parallel circuits.

The other ideas don’t fit because current isn’t the same in all branches in parallel, and it isn’t independent of resistance—both are determined by Ohm’s law with the same branch voltage.