Final answer:
Increasing the resistance in a circuit results in a decrease in current due to Ohm's law, which states that current is inversely proportional to resistance at a constant voltage. In parallel circuits, the voltage across each resistor remains constant even if resistance changes elsewhere in the circuit. To increase power dissipation with constant current, reducing the resistance is the preferred choice.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the resistance in a circuit is increased, the current will decrease because of increased resistance in accordance with Ohm's law. Ohm's law states that the current (I) through a resistor at constant temperature is inversely proportional to the resistance (R), while it is directly proportional to the voltage (V) across the resistor. This is summarized in the equation I = V/R.
In a parallel circuit, if you increase the resistance of one resistor, the overall resistance of the circuit increases but the voltage across each component remains the same. This means that through the resistor with unchanged resistance, the current remains the same because the voltage across it has not changed. Therefore, the voltage drop across each component in a parallel circuit remains constant regardless of changes in the resistance of other components. In this specific setup, if the resistance increases in one, it does not impact the current through or the voltage across the other resistor.
To increase the power dissipated in a circuit while keeping the current constant, you should choose to reduce the resistance. The power (P) dissipated in a resistive circuit is given by P = I^2 * R, so decreasing the resistance while maintaining the same current will result in an increase in power dissipation.