On a grounded circuit, the rules for a parallel circuit apply.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not specified

Answer: (B)

Grounding provides a common reference point for measurements, but it doesn’t change how branches behave when they’re connected in parallel. The key idea is that parallel branches share the same two nodes, so each branch experiences the same voltage across it. Currents in the branches split according to each branch’s impedance, and the total current flowing into the node equals the sum of the branch currents.

For example, if a voltage source connects between ground (one side) and a hot node (the other side) and feeds two resistors in parallel, each resistor has the same voltage across it (the source voltage). The currents are I1 = V/R1 and I2 = V/R2, and the total current is I = I1 + I2. Ground simply fixes the zero reference and safety path; it doesn’t alter the parallel relationships.

So, in a grounded circuit, the rules that govern parallel circuits still apply.