In a simple circuit, a current of 3.0A reaches a single junction where it divides into two conducting branches before recombining later in the circuit. One branch contains a 4.0Ω resistor and the other branch contains an 8.0Ω resistor. No additional elements are present.
(a) Explain qualitatively, without performing a numerical calculation, whether the instantaneous current in the 4.0Ω branch is greater than, less than, or equal to the current in the 8.0Ω branch. Support your explanation by referring to relevant physical principles.
(b) Describe what would happen to the current distribution if the resistance of the 8.0Ω branch were suddenly decreased to 4.0Ω, while all other conditions remained the same.