When more than two inductors of different inductances are connected in parallel, the total inductance is:

• A. Equal to the sum of the individual inductances.
• B. Equal to the inductance of the highest rated inductor.
• C. Less than the inductance of the lowest rated inductor.
• D. Greater than all the individual inductances.

Answer: (C)

When inductors are connected in parallel, currents split between the paths, and the overall opposition to changes in current decreases. For ideal inductors, the total inductance in parallel is found using L_total = 1 / (1/L1 + 1/L2 + …). Because the sum of the reciprocals is always larger than the reciprocal of the smallest inductance, L_total is always less than the smallest individual inductance in the group. For example, with 4 H and 1 H in parallel, L_total = 1 / (1/4 + 1/1) = 0.8 H, which is less than 1 H. Adding more inductors in parallel keeps reducing the total inductance. So the total inductance is less than the inductance of the lowest-valued inductor.