Insights Blog
-- Browse All Articles --
Physics Articles
Physics Tutorials
Physics Guides
Physics FAQ
Math Articles
Math Tutorials
Math Guides
Math FAQ
Education Articles
Education Guides
Bio/Chem Articles
Technology Guides
Computer Science Tutorials
Forums
General Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Materials Engineering
Trending
Featured Threads
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
General Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Materials Engineering
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Potentiometer or Rheostat: Which is more versatile in circuit design?
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="sophiecentaur, post: 6017399, member: 199289"] It all depends what you want to achieve. It is an 'Engineering Choice" that needs to be made each time. A Potential Divider Circuit is always passing some current, which may not be handy for a battery operated device. A rheostat only passes the load current. A Potential Divider can give you a range of voltages out from Zero to the Maximum but a Rheostat will only introduce a certain maximum of series resistance to limit the current supplied to the load. A rheostat needs to have a large maximum value of resistance (perhaps many times the resistance of the load) if you want to be able to reduce the output current to a low value. That means it may need many turns of thin wire which, when you want to supply a lot of current to the load, the 'top' few turns of resistance wire will be passing a high current through a short length of very thin wire and it may burn out those few turns. Otoh, a potential divider can use fatter wire to pass a high maximum current and yet still give you Zero volts. Plus various other differences. The wiper resistance is only relevant when it is comparable with the resistance of the load. It will not affect the output volts from a potential divider if the load is a high resistance. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Post reply
Forums
Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Potentiometer or Rheostat: Which is more versatile in circuit design?
Back
Top