What is the current through each heater in the parallel circuit described above?

What is the current through each heater in the parallel circuit described above?

• A. 4 A
• B. 8 A
• C. 24 A
• D. 2 A

Answer: (B)

In parallel circuits, each heater is connected directly to the same voltage source, so every heater experiences the same voltage. The current through each heater is determined by I = V/R for that heater. If the heaters are identical, they have the same resistance, so they draw the same current. If the setup is such that each heater draws 8 A, that means the voltage across each heater and its resistance satisfy V/R = 8. For example, with a 24-volt supply and a heater of 3 ohms, the current in each branch is 24/3 = 8 A. If there are multiple heaters in parallel, the total current would be the sum of the branch currents, but the current through each individual heater remains 8 A.

In parallel circuits, each heater is connected directly to the same voltage source, so every heater experiences the same voltage. The current through each heater is determined by I = V/R for that heater. If the heaters are identical, they have the same resistance, so they draw the same current.

If the setup is such that each heater draws 8 A, that means the voltage across each heater and its resistance satisfy V/R = 8. For example, with a 24-volt supply and a heater of 3 ohms, the current in each branch is 24/3 = 8 A. If there are multiple heaters in parallel, the total current would be the sum of the branch currents, but the current through each individual heater remains 8 A.