When additional parallel branches are added, what happens to the total current drawn from the cell?

When additional parallel branches are added, what happens to the total current drawn from the cell?

• A. The total current increases
• B. The total current decreases
• C. The total current remains the same
• D. The total current becomes zero

Answer: (A)

When you add parallel branches, you create more paths for current to flow. With the cell voltage fixed, the overall resistance seen by the cell drops because the parallel combination has a smaller equivalent resistance than any single branch. Since the total current is I_total = V / R_eq, lowering R_eq makes the current from the cell larger. Each branch carries its own current I_k = V / R_k, so the total current is the sum of those branch currents, and adding another path increases that sum. This assumes an ideal voltage source; with real sources, internal resistance can temper the increase, but the overall trend remains that the total current rises as more parallel paths are added.

When you add parallel branches, you create more paths for current to flow. With the cell voltage fixed, the overall resistance seen by the cell drops because the parallel combination has a smaller equivalent resistance than any single branch. Since the total current is I_total = V / R_eq, lowering R_eq makes the current from the cell larger. Each branch carries its own current I_k = V / R_k, so the total current is the sum of those branch currents, and adding another path increases that sum. This assumes an ideal voltage source; with real sources, internal resistance can temper the increase, but the overall trend remains that the total current rises as more parallel paths are added.