In a parallel circuit, how does the total current relate to branch currents?

In a parallel circuit, how does the total current relate to branch currents?

• A. The total current is equal to the current in the largest branch.
• B. The total current is the average of the branch currents.
• C. The total current is the sum of the currents in all branches.
• D. The total current is always zero.

Answer: (C)

In a parallel circuit, currents split at the junctions and then recombine, so the total current from the source is the sum of the currents through each branch. This happens because charge must conserve at the junction: what flows into the split must flow out through all the branches together. Each branch carries a current determined by the branch’s resistance (the same voltage across every branch, but different resistances mean different currents). The total current is simply the add-up of those branch currents. For example, if one branch carries 2 A and another carries 3 A, the source provides 5 A in total. It’s not the largest branch’s current, nor the average, and it isn’t zero. Adding more parallel branches provides more paths for current, increasing the total.

In a parallel circuit, currents split at the junctions and then recombine, so the total current from the source is the sum of the currents through each branch. This happens because charge must conserve at the junction: what flows into the split must flow out through all the branches together. Each branch carries a current determined by the branch’s resistance (the same voltage across every branch, but different resistances mean different currents). The total current is simply the add-up of those branch currents. For example, if one branch carries 2 A and another carries 3 A, the source provides 5 A in total. It’s not the largest branch’s current, nor the average, and it isn’t zero. Adding more parallel branches provides more paths for current, increasing the total.