When more branches are added in parallel, what happens to total current drawn from the source?

When more branches are added in parallel, what happens to total current drawn from the source?

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Stays the same
• D. Becomes zero

Answer: (A)

When branches are arranged in parallel, each branch has the same voltage across it, so the current in each branch is determined by that branch’s resistance. Adding more parallel branches provides additional paths for current to flow, which means the currents in all the branches sum to a larger total. If the resistances are finite, the total current increases because the overall (equivalent) resistance of the network decreases as you add more paths, and with the source voltage fixed, a smaller resistance draws more current (I = V / R_eq). If every new branch has the same resistance, the total current grows with each added path; if a new branch is effectively an open circuit, it draws no current and doesn’t change the total. In typical cases, adding parallel branches increases the total current drawn from the source.

When branches are arranged in parallel, each branch has the same voltage across it, so the current in each branch is determined by that branch’s resistance. Adding more parallel branches provides additional paths for current to flow, which means the currents in all the branches sum to a larger total. If the resistances are finite, the total current increases because the overall (equivalent) resistance of the network decreases as you add more paths, and with the source voltage fixed, a smaller resistance draws more current (I = V / R_eq). If every new branch has the same resistance, the total current grows with each added path; if a new branch is effectively an open circuit, it draws no current and doesn’t change the total. In typical cases, adding parallel branches increases the total current drawn from the source.