In a parallel circuit with a 6 Ω branch and a 3 Ω branch across 12 V, what are the currents in each branch?

In a parallel circuit with a 6 Ω branch and a 3 Ω branch across 12 V, what are the currents in each branch?

• A. Ia = 4 A, Ib = 2 A
• B. Ia = 2 A, Ib = 4 A
• C. Ia = 1 A, Ib = 2 A
• D. Ia = 6 A, Ib = 3 A

Answer: (B)

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across every branch is the same, here 12 V. The current through a branch is found from I = V/R. For the 6 Ω branch: I = 12 V / 6 Ω = 2 A. For the 3 Ω branch: I = 12 V / 3 Ω = 4 A. So the current is 2 A in the 6 Ω path and 4 A in the 3 Ω path. This aligns with the idea that lower resistance in a parallel path draws more current. The total current from the source would be 2 A + 4 A = 6 A.

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across every branch is the same, here 12 V. The current through a branch is found from I = V/R. For the 6 Ω branch: I = 12 V / 6 Ω = 2 A. For the 3 Ω branch: I = 12 V / 3 Ω = 4 A. So the current is 2 A in the 6 Ω path and 4 A in the 3 Ω path. This aligns with the idea that lower resistance in a parallel path draws more current. The total current from the source would be 2 A + 4 A = 6 A.