Which of the following arrangement of resistors offers minimum effective resistance between points X and Y ?

In electrical physics, the effective resistance of a circuit depends on whether resistors are connected in series or parallel. According to Ohm's Law and circuit rules:

• Parallel Arrangement: The reciprocal of the total resistance (1/Rtotal) is the sum of the reciprocals of individual resistances (1/R1 + 1/R2 + ...). This always results in an effective resistance lower than the smallest individual resistor.
• Series Arrangement: The total resistance is the simple sum of individual resistances (R1 + R2 + ...), which increases the overall resistance.

Option A represents a parallel combination. By providing multiple paths for the electric current to flow, a parallel circuit reduces the overall opposition to the current. Therefore, among the given configurations, the parallel arrangement in Option A offers the minimum effective resistance between points X and Y.