Which term describes a circuit that has two or more paths for current to flow through?

• A. Series circuit
• B. Parallel circuit
• C. Series-parallel circuit
• D. Short circuit

Answer: (B)

Having two or more paths for current to flow describes a parallel circuit. In parallel, components connect across the same two nodes, so the voltage across each path is the same. The current from the source splits among the branches according to each branch’s resistance, and the total current is the sum of the branch currents. A useful property is that adding another parallel path lowers the overall resistance and increases the total current drawn from the source, while keeping the same voltage across each path. If one path is opened or a device fails, current can still flow through the remaining paths. This contrasts with a series circuit, where there is only one path for current and the same current flows through every component, and with a short circuit, which is an unintended low-resistance path causing a surge. In real life, household circuits are wired in parallel so each outlet or light receives the full line voltage independently.