In the circuit described, what is the total current drawn from the source?

• A. 4 A
• B. 6 A
• C. 8 A
• D. 10 A

Answer: (C)

When currents have multiple paths, the total current drawn from the source is the sum of the currents in each path. In a parallel arrangement, the voltage across every branch is the same as the source, but the current through each branch depends on that branch’s resistance (I_branch = V / R_branch). Add all the branch currents together to get the total current from the source. In the described circuit, those parallel-path currents add up to 8 A, so the source supplies 8 A. If everything were in a single path (series), the current would be the same through every component rather than being summed from different branches. You can also verify by noting I_total = V / R_eq for the parallel network, where R_eq is the equivalent resistance of all parallel branches.