[crazyone]

Originally Posted by LauraN

*drags out physics*

OK, in parallel circuits, the total resistance actually decreases the more branches you add. (Weird, I know.) Ohm's Law then tells us that if you decrease the resistance, you increase the current. Then, we also know that power=I²R. So the amount of power you'd be drawing would decrease because you've decreased the resitance, but then increase proportionally the the square of the corresponding increase in current.

In conclusion, I think I've totally confused myself. In terms of safety/starting fires/tripping breakers...it would depend on the specs of the circuit, unless I'm totally missing something (which I probably am, so feel free to correct me.)

That's true, but the wires and switches offer such a small amount of resistance that it is considered to be of no importance. So the only real concern would be focused on the lights and since the circuit modifications are being done on the switches there won't be any significant changes in power or current.

Laura Ohm's law also states that in a parallel circuit, volatge is the same in all branches and V=I*R according to Ohm's law also.