When resistance increases in a circuit, what typically happens to the current if the voltage remains constant?

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Study for the Ontario Grade 9 Destreamed Science Exam. Enhance your learning with multiple choice questions, hints, and detailed explanations. Be confident and ready for your science test!

When resistance increases in a circuit while the voltage stays constant, the current decreases. This relationship is described by Ohm's Law, which states that the current (I) is equal to the voltage (V) divided by the resistance (R), or I = V/R.

If the voltage remains unchanged and the resistance rises, the denominator of the fraction increases. As a result, the overall value of the current decreases. This means that with higher resistance, less current flows through the circuit when the voltage is held steady. Understanding this concept is fundamental in analyzing electrical circuits, as it highlights the inverse relationship between current and resistance under constant voltage conditions.

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