In a parallel circuit with three 6-ohm resistors across a 12-volt battery, what is the current through each resistor?

In a parallel circuit with three 6-ohm resistors across a 12-volt battery, what is the current through each resistor?

• A. 4 amps
• B. 2 amps
• C. 1 amp
• D. 0.5 amps

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, each resistor experiences the full battery voltage, so the same voltage appears across every branch. The current through a resistor is I = V/R, so with 12 volts across a 6-ohm resistor, each branch draws I = 12/6 = 2 amperes. Since all three resistors are identical, each one carries 2 A, and the total current drawn from the battery would be 3 × 2 A = 6 A. The other numbers would correspond to different branch resistances (for example, a 3-ohm branch would give 4 A, a 12-ohm branch 1 A, and a 24-ohm branch 0.5 A), but the current through each resistor here is 2 A.

In a parallel circuit, each resistor experiences the full battery voltage, so the same voltage appears across every branch. The current through a resistor is I = V/R, so with 12 volts across a 6-ohm resistor, each branch draws I = 12/6 = 2 amperes. Since all three resistors are identical, each one carries 2 A, and the total current drawn from the battery would be 3 × 2 A = 6 A. The other numbers would correspond to different branch resistances (for example, a 3-ohm branch would give 4 A, a 12-ohm branch 1 A, and a 24-ohm branch 0.5 A), but the current through each resistor here is 2 A.