In a parallel circuit, which statement is correct?

• A. The current in each branch is the same.
• B. The total circuit current equals the sum of the currents in all the parallel branches.
• C. The voltage across each branch is the same.
• D. The source voltage changes with number of branches.

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, currents from all branches add up to the current drawn from the source. The total current is the sum of the currents in each branch, so if one branch carries 2 A and another carries 3 A, the source supplies 5 A. This behavior comes from each branch drawing its own current based on the shared supply voltage and each branch’s resistance, so branch currents can differ even though the voltage across every branch is the same. The fact that the voltage across each branch is the same is true in an ideal parallel circuit, and the source voltage doesn’t change just by adding branches, but the total current does increase with more branches because more current paths exist.