When resistors are connected in parallel, what happens to the overall current?

When resistors are connected in parallel, the overall current through the circuit increases because the total resistance decreases. In a parallel configuration, each resistor provides an alternative path for the current to flow.

As the total resistance of the parallel combination is given by the formula ( \frac{1}{R_{total}} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + ... + \frac{1}{R_n} ), the overall resistance will always be lower than the smallest individual resistor in the group. Since the voltage across all resistors in parallel remains the same, according to Ohm's law (( I = \frac{V}{R} )), if the resistance decreases, the current increases.

This is why the overall current increases when resistors are connected in parallel; there are more paths for the current to distribute itself, leading to a larger total current flowing from the source.