Electronics Engineering (ELEX) Board Practice Exam

The effect of connecting an additional parallel load to an electrical supply source is to:

1. Increase the voltage supplied

2. Decrease the total current drawn from the source

3. Increase the overall resistance

4. Increase the current taken from the source

The correct answer is: Increase the current taken from the source

Connecting an additional parallel load to an electrical supply source results in an increase in the total current taken from the source. When loads are connected in parallel, each additional load provides an alternative path for the electricity to flow. This means that the total current flowing from the source is the sum of the currents through each parallel branch. In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each load remains constant and equal to the supply voltage. However, the overall current increases because each new load draws its own current based on its resistance (Ohm’s law: I = V/R). Hence, as more parallel loads are added, the overall current increases since more paths for current flow are created. The other options imply outcomes that do not occur under the scenario of adding parallel loads. For instance, the voltage supplied remains constant, the total current increases rather than decreases, and overall resistance in a parallel circuit actually decreases as more paths are added, because the equivalent resistance can be calculated using the formula \(1/R_{eq} = 1/R_1 + 1/R_2 + ...\). Therefore, adding more parallel loads increases the current drawn from the source, which aligns with the provided answer.