david18 said:Hi could someone explain what determines the amount of current going through each branch in a parallel cicuit. Does it just depend on the amount of resistance in each branch?
Im not looking for a complex explanation, but just the basic idea
A parallel circuit is a type of electrical circuit where the components are connected in parallel, meaning they share the same voltage but have separate current paths.
In a parallel circuit, the total current is divided among the individual branches of the circuit. This means that the current flowing into the circuit is equal to the sum of the currents flowing through each branch.
The formula for calculating current in a parallel circuit is: I(total) = I1 + I2 + I3 + ..., where I(total) is the total current and I1, I2, I3, etc. are the individual branch currents.
In a parallel circuit, the total resistance is decreased as more components are added. This means that the current in the circuit will increase as the resistance decreases.
In a parallel circuit, if one component fails, the other components will still receive the same voltage and continue to function. This is because each component has its own current path and is not dependent on the other components for current flow.