Adding parallel loads to a circuit will cause total circuit resistance to ... and total circuit current to ...

Adding parallel loads to a circuit will cause total circuit resistance to ... and total circuit current to ...

• A. Decrease / Increase
• B. Decrease / Decrease
• C. Increase / Decrease
• D. Increase / Increase

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, adding more loads creates additional paths for current to flow. The combined (equivalent) resistance of several loads in parallel is always less than the smallest individual resistance, so the total resistance decreases as you add more parallel branches. With a fixed supply voltage, current follows I = V / R_eq, so when R_eq drops, the total current drawn from the source increases. For example, two equal resistors in parallel give half the resistance and double the total current. Each branch draws its own current (V/R_i), and the total is the sum, so adding more parallel loads raises the overall current.

In a parallel circuit, adding more loads creates additional paths for current to flow. The combined (equivalent) resistance of several loads in parallel is always less than the smallest individual resistance, so the total resistance decreases as you add more parallel branches. With a fixed supply voltage, current follows I = V / R_eq, so when R_eq drops, the total current drawn from the source increases. For example, two equal resistors in parallel give half the resistance and double the total current. Each branch draws its own current (V/R_i), and the total is the sum, so adding more parallel loads raises the overall current.