Cathodic Protection Tester Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Cathodic Protection Tester Exam. Study with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, complete with hints and explanations to ensure success. Ace your test with confidence!

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What happens to the total equivalent resistance in a parallel circuit?

It is always more than the highest resistance.
It adds up to equal the source resistance.
It is always less than the smallest resistance in the circuit.
It equals the sum of all resistances in parallel.

The correct answer is: It is always less than the smallest resistance in the circuit.

In a parallel circuit, the total equivalent resistance is determined by the nature of how resistances combine. When resistors are placed in parallel, they provide multiple paths for current to flow. This configuration causes the total current to increase due to the additional pathways, which ultimately reduces the total equivalent resistance of the circuit. The correct statement indicates that the total equivalent resistance is always less than the smallest resistance among the individual resistors in the circuit. This is because each parallel branch offers an alternate route for the current, and with more paths available, the total resistance decreases. Consequently, the total resistance cannot exceed the resistance of the smallest branch. Understanding this principle is crucial for analyzing and designing electrical circuits, especially when considering how the circuit's performance can be optimized by adjusting resistance values in a parallel configuration.