What is the current through the 8 Ω resistor in the 30 V parallel circuit?

• A. 3.75 A
• B. 6.25 A
• C. 2.5 A
• D. 1.25 A

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each resistor is the same as the supply voltage, so current through a specific resistor is found with I = V/R. With 30 V across the 8 Ω resistor, the current is 30/8 = 3.75 A. The parallel arrangement means this current value is determined purely by the resistor value and the supply voltage, regardless of what the other branches draw from the source. The other currents would only occur if the voltage across the 8 Ω or the resistance itself were different.