If the resistance of a circuit is decreased to 1/4 of its original value while keeping the supply voltage unchanged, what happens to the current?

When the resistance of a circuit is decreased to one-quarter of its original value while maintaining the same supply voltage, the effect on current can be understood using Ohm's Law, which states that current (I) is equal to voltage (V) divided by resistance (R):

I = V / R.

If the resistance is reduced to 1/4, we can denote the original resistance as R. Thus the new resistance becomes R/4. Since the supply voltage remains unchanged, one can analyze the new current as follows:

New current (I') = V / (R/4) = 4V / R.

From this transformation, it's clear that the new current is four times the original current because you are effectively dividing by a smaller resistance (R/4) rather than the larger original resistance (R). This illustrates that as resistance decreases, the current increases proportionally, leading to the increased flow of electricity through the circuit.

Therefore, the current actually becomes four times its original value, confirming that the answer is indeed correct.