Which statement about electrical current is always true?

Which statement about electrical current is always true?

• A. Currents will always take the path of least resistance, and current will take all paths to the ground
• B. Currents will always avoid the path of least resistance
• C. Currents will never flow through a conductor
• D. Currents always flow uphill

Answer: (A)

Electrical current moves from higher potential to lower potential and will use any conducting path that completes a circuit back to the source. When there are several paths, the current splits and more of it flows through the path with lower resistance. In simple terms, current tends to follow the easiest route and will utilize any available conducting path back to ground as long as the path completes the circuit. This is why the idea that current follows the path of least resistance and can travel through multiple paths toward ground is a good, practical description of how current behaves. The other statements conflict with how circuits actually work: current does flow through conductors and back through a complete circuit, it does not move uphill, and it does not mysteriously avoid the lowest-resistance path.

Electrical current moves from higher potential to lower potential and will use any conducting path that completes a circuit back to the source. When there are several paths, the current splits and more of it flows through the path with lower resistance. In simple terms, current tends to follow the easiest route and will utilize any available conducting path back to ground as long as the path completes the circuit. This is why the idea that current follows the path of least resistance and can travel through multiple paths toward ground is a good, practical description of how current behaves. The other statements conflict with how circuits actually work: current does flow through conductors and back through a complete circuit, it does not move uphill, and it does not mysteriously avoid the lowest-resistance path.