In a parallel circuit with two loads of equal resistance connected to the same supply, how does the current and voltage distribution compare to a single load?

In a parallel circuit with two loads of equal resistance connected to the same supply, how does the current and voltage distribution compare to a single load?

• A. Each load experiences half the supply voltage; the total current equals the current of one load.
• B. Each load experiences the same supply voltage; the total current is the sum of the branch currents.
• C. The voltage across each load doubles; the total current remains the same as a single load.
• D. Each load experiences half the supply voltage and the total current is twice the current of a single load.

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, each load is connected directly across the same supply, so every load experiences the full supply voltage. Since the two loads have equal resistance, each draws the same current I = V/R. The total current drawn from the source is the sum of these branch currents, so I_total = I + I = 2V/R. That means the total current is twice what a single load would draw across the same supply. The voltage across each load remains the supply voltage, not reduced, which is why parallel resistors increase current while keeping voltage the same.

In a parallel circuit, each load is connected directly across the same supply, so every load experiences the full supply voltage. Since the two loads have equal resistance, each draws the same current I = V/R. The total current drawn from the source is the sum of these branch currents, so I_total = I + I = 2V/R. That means the total current is twice what a single load would draw across the same supply. The voltage across each load remains the supply voltage, not reduced, which is why parallel resistors increase current while keeping voltage the same.