When resistors are connected in a parallel circuit, how does the total current behave?

When resistors are connected in a parallel circuit, the total current indeed divides among the branches of the circuit. Each resistor in a parallel configuration has its own distinct path for the current to flow, which results in the total current entering the parallel network being split up into smaller currents through each branch.

The division of current occurs because each resistor can have a different resistance value, which affects how much current flows through each path. According to Ohm's law, the current through each resistor is inversely proportional to its resistance; hence, resistors with lower resistance will allow more current to pass compared to those with higher resistance.

Though the sum of the currents through all the branches equals the total current supplied by the source, it is crucial to understand that the current does not flow through one branch only or stop flowing entirely, thus ruling out those possibilities. In a well-functioning parallel circuit, there is always flow, and it is not restricted to one path.