Current in a circuit with multiple paths of different resistances splits among paths

• A. Inversely proportional to resistance
• B. All current flows through the path of least resistance
• C. Only the path with the lowest resistance carries current
• D. No current flows if multiple paths

Answer: (A)

When several parallel paths exist, the current splits among them based on each path’s resistance. Since the same voltage is across all branches, each branch draws current according to I = V/R, so a path with smaller resistance draws more current and a path with larger resistance draws less. In general, the currents are inversely proportional to the resistances: lower resistance means higher current, higher resistance means lower current. The rest of the current doesn’t vanish; it flows through all conductive paths, just in different amounts depending on their resistances. That’s why the statement that current is inversely proportional to resistance best describes how current divides in a multi-path circuit.