Red Seal Electrician Practice
AC theoryQuestion 945 of 1506

A parallel R-L circuit has a resistive branch current of 3 A and an inductive branch current of 4 A. What is the total current?

  1. 7 A
  2. 5 A
  3. 1 A
  4. 12 A
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Correct answer: 5 A

The two branch currents are 90 degrees out of phase, so they add as vectors: √(3² + 4²) = 5 A.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits II: AC (Kuphaldt), 3.4: Parallel Resistor-Inductor Circuits

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Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026