Physics – 4.3.2 Series and parallel circuits | e-Consult

In a parallel circuit, the voltage supplied by the source is divided equally among each branch. This means each component experiences the full voltage. Ohm's Law (V = IR) dictates that for a given voltage, the current is inversely proportional to the resistance. Therefore, if the resistance in each branch is lower than the equivalent resistance of the entire parallel combination, the current through each branch will be higher.

The total current from the source is the sum of the currents in each branch. Since the voltage is constant across all branches, and the resistances are likely to be different, the currents in the branches will be different. The total current is the algebraic sum of these individual branch currents, resulting in a larger value than the current in any single branch.

In simpler terms: The source provides the same 'push' (voltage) to each branch. If a branch has less 'resistance' to that push, more current will flow through it. The total 'push' from the source is distributed across all branches, leading to a higher overall current.