what is potentiometer?

Answer 1

potentiometer is basically a long piece of uniform wire across which a standard cell is connected.

it allows to compare emf of any two sources.

also used to measure internal resistance of a cell.


it has the advantage that it draws no current from voltage source being measured. As such it is unaffected by the internal resistance of wire.

Answer 2

A potentiometer is a variable resistor that can be used as a voltage divider.

Originally a potentiometer was an instrument to measure the potential (or voltage) in a circuit by tapping off a fraction of a known voltage from a resistive slide wire and comparing it with the unknown voltage by means of a galvanometer.

The present popular usage of the term potentiometer (or 'pot' for short) describes an electrical device which has a user-adjustable resistance. Usually, this is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding contact in the center (the wiper). If all three terminals are used, it can act as a variable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used (one side and the wiper), it acts as a variable resistor. Its shortcoming is that of corrosion or wearing of the sliding contact, especially if it is kept in one position.

In modern usage, a potentiometer is a potential divider, a three terminal resistor where the position of the sliding connection is user adjustable via a knob or slider. Potentiometers are sometimes provided with one or more switches mounted on the same shaft. For instance, when attached to a volume control, the knob can also function as an on/off switch at the lowest volume.

Ordinary potentiometers are rarely used to control anything of significant power (even lighting) directly due to resistive losses, but they are frequently used to adjust the level of analog signals (e.g. volume controls on audio equipment) and as control inputs for electronic circuits (e.g. a typical domestic light dimmer uses a potentiometer to set the point in the cycle at which the triac turns on). Potentiometers used to control high power are normally called rheostats.

Answer 3

A potentiometer is a variable resistor that can be used as a voltage divider.
Originally a potentiometer was an instrument to measure the potential (or voltage) in a circuit by tapping off a fraction of a known voltage from a resistive slide wire and comparing it with the unknown voltage by means of a galvanometer.

Answer 4

A rheostat, such as a dimmer switch in a common household circuit, is a variable resistor. A variable resistor has a semiconductor wire, that's a wire that passes a current, but has some resistance. A variable resistor also has a slider that can be physically moved to different points along the semiconductor wire, thus creating different values of resistance. Connections can be made to either end of the semiconductor wire or to the slider. A variable resistor can be used as a rheostat or a potentiometer, it just depends on how it's hooked up.
If you have a connection at the slider and just one end of the semiconductor wire, you have a rheostat.
If all three points are hooked up it can be used as a voltage splitter, that's a potentiometer.

Answer 5

it's a variable resistor, it will adjust the amount of electricity that can run through a circuit it is used for example inthe volume control of an amplifier it reduces the volts to the speakers making them quieter or louder more resitance less sound less resistance more sound due to more and less voltage flowing... ok?

Answer 6

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Potentiometer&btnG=Search

Answer 7

Barry R's is the correct answer.