Current Dividing in an Electrical Circuit

[Muhammad Danish]

A circuit contains a 7.5V d.c power supply and three resistors. The total resistance of the circuit is 30 ohms. Why will the largest current in the 18 ohm resistor? As far as I know is that the smallest current will be in 60 ohm resistor because it has the maximum resistance. Please explain.
Thanks.
(regards)

 

[BvU]

Hi,

I don't see a contradiction in your statements: All the current that the supply delivers to the circuit will have to go through the 18 $\Omega$ resistor. And yes, the 60 $\Omega$ resistor will have a smaller amount of current than the 15 $\Omega$ resistor.

 

[Muhammad Danish]

Hi,

I don't see a contradiction in your statements: All the current that the supply delivers to the circuit will have to go through the 18 $\Omega$ resistor. And yes, the 60 $\Omega$ resistor will have a smaller amount of current than the 15 $\Omega$ resistor.

Why won't the largest amount of current pass through 15 ohm resistor? Because lower the resistance, higher will be the current..

 

[BvU]

Current flows from high potential (voltage) -- the + of the power supply -- to low potential -- the $-$ of the power supply. On its path it has to go through resistor 18 $\Omega$ and after that it can and will branch over the other two. From the power supply + to the other end of the 18 $\Omega$ resistor there is a potential drop.

The left sides of the 60 $\Omega$ and the 15 $\Omega$ resistors are connected by a wire. So are the right sides.
In other words: the potential difference over the 60 $\Omega$ and the 15 $\Omega$ resistors is the same.

 

[Muhammad Danish]

Current flows from high potential (voltage) -- the + of the power supply -- to low potential -- the $-$ of the power supply. On its path it has to go through resistor 18 $\Omega$ and after that it can and will branch over the other two. From the power supply + to the other end of the 18 $\Omega$ resistor there is a potential drop.

The left sides of the 60 $\Omega$ and the 15 $\Omega$ resistors are connected by a wire. So are the right sides.
In other words: the potential difference over the 60 $\Omega$ and the 15 $\Omega$ resistors is the same.

Can we say that current divides as it flows into the resistors connected in parallel?

 

[BvU]

Yes. I used the word branching. All the current that comes into a connection point has to go out again (or else it would build up a huge potential in no time)