In a parallel circuit, if one path is broken, what happens to the other branches?

• A. The battery immediately becomes a short circuit.
• B. The current through other branches becomes zero.
• C. The voltage across intact branches increases.
• D. The other branches continue to operate because they have independent paths.

Answer: (D)

In a parallel circuit, each branch is connected directly across the same two points, so every branch has its own independent path between the supply rails. If one path is broken, that branch simply carries no current, but the other branches still connect across the source and continue to operate. The voltage across each intact branch stays essentially the same as the supply, so the remaining branches keep working with their own currents determined by their resistances. The battery isn’t forced into a short and the currents in the other branches don’t drop to zero; they just continue because they have independent paths.