In a parallel circuit, removing one branch will cause the total resistance to increase.

Prepare for the essential 636 Period 3 Motor Final Test with comprehensive flashcards and detailed questions. Access explanations and hints for each question to ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

In a parallel circuit, removing one branch will cause the total resistance to increase.

In parallel circuits, adding more paths for current increases the overall conductance, so the total resistance becomes smaller than any individual branch. Conversely, removing a branch reduces the number of paths for current, which lowers the total conductance and raises the equivalent resistance. A simple check shows this: two resistors in parallel, say 5 Ω and 10 Ω, give a combined resistance of about 3.33 Ω. If you take away the 10 Ω path, you’re left with just the 5 Ω branch, and the resistance jumps to 5 Ω, which is higher. So in a typical parallel circuit with finite branches, removing a branch causes the total resistance to increase. (If a branch were an open circuit with infinite resistance, removing it wouldn’t change the total, but that’s a less common case.)

In parallel circuits, adding more paths for current increases the overall conductance, so the total resistance becomes smaller than any individual branch. Conversely, removing a branch reduces the number of paths for current, which lowers the total conductance and raises the equivalent resistance. A simple check shows this: two resistors in parallel, say 5 Ω and 10 Ω, give a combined resistance of about 3.33 Ω. If you take away the 10 Ω path, you’re left with just the 5 Ω branch, and the resistance jumps to 5 Ω, which is higher. So in a typical parallel circuit with finite branches, removing a branch causes the total resistance to increase. (If a branch were an open circuit with infinite resistance, removing it wouldn’t change the total, but that’s a less common case.)

More practice questions