In a parallel circuit, which statement correctly describes how the total current is determined?

• A. The current is the same as the source current in each branch.
• B. The voltage across each branch is the same.
• C. The total current equals the sum of the branch currents.
• D. The current in each branch is independent of the number of branches.

Answer: (C)

In parallel circuits, current splits at the junctions and then recombines, so the total current drawn from the source is the sum of the currents through each branch. Each branch has the same voltage across it (equal to the source voltage in a parallel arrangement), and the current in a branch follows I = V/R. Therefore, I_total = I1 + I2 + I3 + …, meaning the total current is determined by adding the branch currents. More branches or different branch resistances change those individual currents and thus change the total. The other statements describe either a property of parallel circuits (same voltage across branches) or misconceptions about how current distributes, but they don’t describe how the total current is formed.