If three identical resistors are connected in parallel across a 12 V source, what is the current through each resistor?

• A. 1 amp
• B. 2 amps
• C. 3 amps
• D. 0.5 amp

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, the full supply voltage appears across every branch, and identical resistors share current equally because each path has the same resistance. So each resistor draws the same current given by I = V/R, where V is 12 V and R is the common resistance of each resistor. Since all three resistors are identical, the current through each one is the same value, say I. The total current from the source would be three times that, 3I.

If each resistor is 12 ohms, then each branch carries I = 12 V / 12 Ω = 1 A. That’s why the answer shows 1 amp per resistor. The total current from the source would be 3 A, split as 1 A in each branch. If the resistors had a different common value, the current per resistor would be different accordingly, but it would still be the same for all three branches due to their identical resistance.