In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each branch equals the source voltage.

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each branch equals the source voltage.

• A. The voltage across each branch equals the source voltage.
• B. The voltage across each branch is greater than the source voltage.
• C. The voltage across each branch is the average of branch voltages.
• D. The voltage across each branch is determined by the smallest resistance.

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, all branches are connected to the same two nodes, so they share the same potential difference. That means the voltage across each branch equals the source voltage (assuming an ideal voltage source and negligible wiring resistance). The current can split among branches, with more current flowing through lower-resistance branches, but the voltage across every branch stays the same. So this is the correct idea because voltage is defined by the potential difference between the two common nodes, and those nodes are the same for every parallel branch. The other statements would imply the branch voltages differ or depend on resistance for the voltage itself, which isn’t how parallel circuits behave. (If the source has nonzero internal resistance, the voltage across the branches might be slightly less than the source’s emf, but it still remains equal across all branches.)

In a parallel circuit, all branches are connected to the same two nodes, so they share the same potential difference. That means the voltage across each branch equals the source voltage (assuming an ideal voltage source and negligible wiring resistance). The current can split among branches, with more current flowing through lower-resistance branches, but the voltage across every branch stays the same.

So this is the correct idea because voltage is defined by the potential difference between the two common nodes, and those nodes are the same for every parallel branch. The other statements would imply the branch voltages differ or depend on resistance for the voltage itself, which isn’t how parallel circuits behave. (If the source has nonzero internal resistance, the voltage across the branches might be slightly less than the source’s emf, but it still remains equal across all branches.)