What does an increase in resistance typically lead to in a circuit?

An increase in resistance in a circuit typically leads to a decrease in current due to Ohm's Law, which states that current (I) is equal to voltage (V) divided by resistance (R) (I = V/R). When resistance increases while the voltage remains constant, the overall current flowing through the circuit must decrease. This relationship illustrates that for a given voltage, higher resistance opposes the flow of electric charge more effectively, thus reducing the current.

In contrast, an increase in current does not occur because the higher resistance would prevent more current from flowing; similarly, no effect on current would be inaccurate since the current directly depends on both voltage and resistance. An increase in voltage under constant resistance may increase current, but that's not a direct effect of increased resistance.