Red Seal Electrician Practice
Meters and troubleshootingQuestion 711 of 1506

A resistor in a series-parallel circuit fails shorted. What happens to the resistance of that resistor and to the current through it?

  1. Its resistance decreases and its current falls to zero
  2. Its resistance increases and its current decreases
  3. Its resistance decreases and its current increases
  4. Its resistance and current both stay the same
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Correct answer: Its resistance decreases and its current increases

A shorted part has very low resistance, so more current flows through it.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 7.4: Component Failure Analysis (Continued)

Practice meters and troubleshooting

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026