MindTap AC DC Practice Test

In a parallel circuit, the total current flow equals the sum of the currents through all branches.

Currents Resistance Voltage Power

Correct Answer:

Currents

Explanation:

Current is conserved in a parallel circuit: the current from the source splits into the different branches, and those branch currents add together to give the total current flowing from the source. In other words, I_total = I_branch1 + I_branch2 + I_branch3 + … because each branch draws its own current based on its resistance and the same voltage across all branches. This is why the correct answer is the currents. The other quantities aren’t what sum across parallel branches: the resistance of multiple branches in parallel combines in a way that reduces the overall resistance (not a simple sum), the voltage across each branch is the same (not added), and power depends on both voltage and current rather than forming a simple sum of branch currents.

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