Current Divider Calculator

About this calculator

This calculator applies the current divider rule, I₁ = I·R₂/(R₁+R₂), which follows from the fact that two resistors in parallel share the same voltage across them, so the current through each branch is inversely proportional to its own resistance — the smaller resistor carries the larger share of current. It's the mirror image of the voltage divider rule, and both are direct consequences of Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's current law.

Electronics engineers use it to size shunt resistors for ammeters, to balance current sharing between parallel LED branches or battery cells, and to design bias networks in analog circuits. Students learning basic circuit analysis rely on it as one of the first tools for solving parallel resistor networks without redrawing the whole circuit.