Final answer:
A voltage drop across a load that is not equal to the applied voltage indicates the presence of additional elements causing resistance in the circuit. The voltage drops equally across all resistors in parallel, but the current depends on their individual resistances.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the voltage drop across a load in a simple circuit is not the applied voltage, this indicates that there is another element in the circuit, like an internal resistance or additional components, which are also causing a voltage drop. For resistors in parallel, it is important to remember that the voltage drop occurs equally across all resistors, but the current through each resistor may differ based on their respective resistances, as expressed by the formula V = IR, where V is the voltage drop, I is the current, and R is the resistance. Voltage behaves similarly to fluid pressure: it increases at the source and decreases as it encounters resistance, and the energy supplied by the voltage source is equal to the energy converted by the resistor into other forms, such as thermal energy. This conversion is a manifestation of the conservation of energy principle within the circuit.