When resistors are wired in parallel, which statement is true about the voltage across each resistor?

When resistors are wired in parallel, which statement is true about the voltage across each resistor?

• A. The current through each resistor is the same as the source current.
• B. The current through each resistor equals the source voltage.
• C. The voltage drop across each resistor will be the same as the applied source voltage.
• D. The total current equals the sum of the voltages across each resistor.

Answer: (C)

In parallel, each resistor is connected across the same two nodes, so they all experience the same potential difference as the source. Therefore the voltage drop across each resistor is the same as the applied source voltage. While that voltage is shared, the current through each branch depends on its own resistance (I_branch = V_source / R_branch), so branch currents can differ and the total current is the sum of those branch currents. The other statements mix quantities or rely on mistaken assumptions about parallel behavior: current isn’t forced to equal the source current, current isn’t equal to voltage, and the total current isn’t the sum of voltages across the resistors.

In parallel, each resistor is connected across the same two nodes, so they all experience the same potential difference as the source. Therefore the voltage drop across each resistor is the same as the applied source voltage. While that voltage is shared, the current through each branch depends on its own resistance (I_branch = V_source / R_branch), so branch currents can differ and the total current is the sum of those branch currents. The other statements mix quantities or rely on mistaken assumptions about parallel behavior: current isn’t forced to equal the source current, current isn’t equal to voltage, and the total current isn’t the sum of voltages across the resistors.