Resistors in series and parallel

[thisisfudd]

A 3 ohm resistor is connected in parallel with a 6 ohm resistor. This pair is then connected in series with a 4 ohm resistor. These resistors are connected to a battery. What will happen if the 3 ohm resistor breaks?

I think that the power dissipated in the circuit will increase.

The other choices are that the current in the 4 ohm resistor will drop to 0, that the current in the 6 ohm resistor will increase and that the current provided by the battery will not change.

I think I am right because the 4 ohm is connected to two parallels, it will therefore not change. Is this reasonable?

 

[vincentchan]

both answers are wrong... and not reasonable...
draw the graph first, and "see" what's going on...
imagine current is an incompressible fliud in water pipe

 

[thisisfudd]

OK, so the current provided by the battery will change: it will decrease. I think the current in the 6 ohm resistor might increase because it is no longer connected in parallel to anything else. Is this correct?

 

[leolaw]

I am thinking the same thing too
Becuase current does not split into two ways any longer after it left the 4 ohms resistor, so the current would increase