What is the effect of increasing resistance in a circuit while keeping voltage constant?

When resistance in a circuit is increased while keeping the voltage constant, the effect on current can be understood through Ohm's Law, which is expressed as:

[ I = \frac{V}{R} ]

where ( I ) is the current, ( V ) is the voltage, and ( R ) is the resistance. According to this formula, if the voltage remains constant and the resistance is increased, the current must decrease because the same voltage is now divided by a larger resistance.

This relationship indicates that as resistance increases, the flow of electric charge (or current) will diminish, which aligns with the understanding of how circuits operate. Hence, with a higher resistance, there’s a greater opposition to the flow of current, resulting in a decrease in the current flowing through the circuit.

In summary, under constant voltage conditions, an increase in resistance leads to a reduction in current, making the choice of a decrease in current the correct answer in this scenario.