Understanding Voltage Dividers: Polarity and Voltage Reduction

AI Thread Summary
The output polarity of a voltage divider remains the same as the input polarity, as resistors are passive components that do not generate energy. Resistors in a voltage divider primarily serve to reduce the original voltage without altering its polarity. The voltage divider's behavior is governed by specific equations, indicating that the output voltage is a fraction of the input voltage based on the resistor values. Concerns about polarity changes arise from misunderstandings of the circuit's reference points. Overall, voltage dividers effectively lower voltage while maintaining the same polarity.
Jewish_Vulcan
Messages
88
Reaction score
4
What polarity does the output of a voltage divider have?, do the resistors only decrease the original voltage?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Are resistors active or passive components?
 
Bystander said:
Are resistors active or passive components?
They are passive because they do not produce energy. Why?
 
Is a passive component going to do anything to the polarity of the circuit?
 
  • Like
Likes davenn
Jewish_Vulcan said:
What polarity does the output of a voltage divider have?, do the resistors only decrease the original voltage?
Have you looked at the theory / equation for a Voltage divider (potential divider)? What gave you the impression that the PD could change polarity if the reference zero is the same for input and output?
 
  • Like
Likes davenn
Thread 'Motional EMF in Faraday disc, co-rotating magnet axial mean flux'

Thread 'Motional EMF in Faraday disc, co-rotating magnet axial mean flux'

So here is the motional EMF formula. Now I understand the standard Faraday paradox that an axis symmetric field source (like a speaker motor ring magnet) has a magnetic field that is frame invariant under rotation around axis of symmetry. The field is static whether you rotate the magnet or not. So far so good. What puzzles me is this , there is a term average magnetic flux or "azimuthal mean" , this term describes the average magnetic field through the area swept by the rotating Faraday...
View full post »

Similar threads

I Capacitor connected to voltage source, vary plate separation
Replies
9
Views
2K
I Getting a reduced voltage from a fixed secondary voltage of a transformer
Replies
8
Views
1K
I Mutual inductance in a transformer
Replies
16
Views
4K
I Electrical characteristics of a solenoid coil
Replies
10
Views
1K
Question about the polarity of a voltage (PHY 2 for engineers)
Replies
4
Views
1K
How does smoothing an AC voltage with a capacitor work?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Why isn't this largest voltage source given as negative?
Replies
1
Views
1K
Voltage drop conceptual questions
Replies
10
Views
2K
True output voltage on a Van De Graaff generator?
Replies
6
Views
4K
Conceptual Understanding for Voltage in a Circuit
2
Replies
62
Views
9K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top