Which circuit yields the greatest total current from the battery for the same resistors?

Which circuit yields the greatest total current from the battery for the same resistors?

• A. All resistors in parallel
• B. All resistors in series
• C. A single resistor
• D. A mixed network with no clear pattern

Answer: (A)

When you have a fixed battery voltage, the total current is I = V / R_total. To get the largest current, you want the smallest possible total resistance. Putting all resistors in parallel makes the equivalent resistance smaller than any individual resistor (for identical resistors, R_eq = R/n). That means a larger current flows from the battery. In contrast, arranging resistors in series increases total resistance (R_eq = nR), which reduces current. A mixed network generally won’t achieve as small an equivalent resistance as all parallel, so it won’t maximize the current.

When you have a fixed battery voltage, the total current is I = V / R_total. To get the largest current, you want the smallest possible total resistance. Putting all resistors in parallel makes the equivalent resistance smaller than any individual resistor (for identical resistors, R_eq = R/n). That means a larger current flows from the battery. In contrast, arranging resistors in series increases total resistance (R_eq = nR), which reduces current. A mixed network generally won’t achieve as small an equivalent resistance as all parallel, so it won’t maximize the current.