Current divider rule

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Scheme of an electrical circuit and illustration of the current divider rule.

The current divider rule (or CDR) is used to find the electrical current flowing through an impedance or other circuit when it is connected in parallel with another impedance. It is similar in form to the voltage divider rule. The key difference, however, is that the numerator of the equation is the impedance you are not considering.

If two or more impedances are in parallel to each other, the current that enters them will be split between them in inverse proportion to their resistance (from Ohm's law). It also follows that if the impedances have the same value the current is split equally.

This is a general form of the current divider. Ix = ( Rt / Rx ) * I , note that Rt is the parallel resistance hence the reciprical of each resistor must be added.