How To Find Current In A Parallel Circuit

When two or more resistors are connected side by side the current can choose it s path in much the same way as cars tend to change lanes and drive alongside one another when a one lane road splits into two parallel lanes.

How to find current in a parallel circuit. In a parallel circuit each device is connected in a manner such that a single charge passing through the circuit will only pass through one of the resistors. If a closed circuit has 3 bulbs arranged in parallel calculate the total current flowing through the circuit if through the first bulb 3a flows in the second 4a flows and in the third 2a flows. The total circuit current is equal to the sum of the individual branch currents. Using this principle we can fill in the it spot on our table with the sum of i r1 i r2 and i r3.

Current in parallel circuits depends on the voltage applied and the resistance of each leg. To find the total current in both series and parallel circuits start by calculating the total resistance. How to calculate total resistance in parallel circuits. After reading these steps you should be able to find the voltage current.

For series circuits the total resistance is equal to resistor 1 plus resistor 2 plus resistor 3 and so forth. This lesson focuses on how this type of connection affects the relationship between resistance current and voltage drop values for individual resistors and the overall resistance current and voltage drop values for the entire circuit. Total current i in a parallel circuit is equal to the sum of the individual branch currents. Solving parallel circuits is an easy process once you know the basic formulas and principles.