When a short occurs in one branch of a parallel circuit, the other branches will continue to operate.

• A. The other branches will continue to operate
• B. It causes an open in the power supply
• C. The entire circuit will be shorted
• D. None of these

Answer: (A)

In a parallel circuit, each branch is connected directly across the same two points of the power source, so every branch experiences the full supply voltage independently of the others. If a short occurs in one branch, that branch becomes a very low-resistance path and draws a large amount of current, but the other branches still have the same voltage across them and can continue to operate normally. The only time their operation would stop is if the protective devices (like a fuse or breaker) trip because of the excessive current in the shorted branch. So, the remaining branches keep working, making this option the best choice.