Red Seal Electrician Practice
DC circuitsQuestion 783 of 1506

Two batteries with different voltages are wired in parallel. What is the result?

  1. No current flows in the load
  2. The batteries all charge at exactly the same rate
  3. Large currents circulate from the higher-voltage battery through the lower
  4. The bank voltage doubles
Show answer

Correct answer: Large currents circulate from the higher-voltage battery through the lower

Parallel branches must share one voltage. The higher battery drives a large current into the lower one.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 11.5: Practical Considerations - Batteries

Practice dc circuits

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026