Hello folks, I'm glad that you're still there hunting for my new post here in our study of basic electrical engineering which is very recommended for the beginners. Well, if you find this site useful for you, then tell your friends and let them subscribe to my articles.
It's a little bit hectic on my work schedule including posting my blog here. Because I have to double my effort just for you... How sweet...I will not make my introduction again get longer because I know that you're really want to learn more here. So, let's continue of what we've left last moment which is the DC Series Circuit Part 1. For those who missed it, you can still catch up with the lecture.
Let's study the continuation...
The Voltage Division in the Series Circuit
In a series circuit, you would be able to find the voltage across at any point in the series circuit. The voltage which we called it the step-down voltage.
A circuit used for this is shown in the circuit diagram below. This is called a voltage divider. You may click the picture to enlarge.
Let's assume in the given circuit above that the applied voltage with the electrical notation of E or Ein is 100 volts and the values of R1 and R2 are 15 and 20 ohms respectively. You may want to know what is the applied voltage across R2 with the electrical notation of Vout or Eout which is written in another way. Please take note that the electrical notation of Vout or Eout could be an input voltage for another circuit. which of course will also become an Ein once more). That topic would be study on my succeeding post here in Electrical Engineering.
So, this is how you will going to do it...
We know that the total resistance in the circuit is 15 + 20 = 35 ohms. Given that the given circuit voltage is 100 volts. You may now use the Ohm's Law to find the circuit current. This is:
I = Ein / Rt = 100/35 = 2.86 amperes
Then, let's go to R2 in the given circuit. We all know that the resistance is 20 ohms and we have just calculated that the current is 2.86 amperes (from the conditions mentioned earlier in Ohm's Law Series Circuit that the current in the series circuit are just the same throughout).
Therefore, you will obtain that,
Eout = I x R2 = 2.86 x 20 = 57.2 volts - answer
You may observe that with the appropriate choice of resistor values in voltage divider chain, an input voltage of 100 volts has been stepped down to an output voltage of 57.2 volts. By using ohm's law, you would be able to calculate it.
Since we have an illustrative example above, let's expressed the above example into equation. Given that the total resistance is R1 + R2 and ohm's law tells you that the circuit current would be: Ein/ R1+R2. This is also the current across R2. Using Ohm's Law again, we can calculate the Eout = I x R2 will give an equation just by substitution:
Eout = (Ein/R1+R2) x R2
Expressing it in a correct and understandable way would give you...
Eout = (R1/R1+R2) x Ein
The equation above is the simplified formula that you can use in the given condition like this in voltage division chain. To put the equation into words. The voltage across any resistor in a voltage divider chain can be calculated by multiplying the value of that resistor by the input voltage dividedby the total resistance of the circuit.
Norton's and Thevenin's Theorem are commonly used principles when solving such voltage divider problems. This will be another basic concept that we will study on my succeeding post. For the meantime, let's absorbed first what we have now.
The Variable Resistors
You can also vary the resistance of the circuit as well. If you are not aware, you always done it by yourself by adjusting volume of your radio. This is what we called a variable resistor.
The resistor can be made variable in this way by means of sliding arm made of good conducting material to be arranged so that it can be moved along the length of the resistor. The resistor is then connected into the circuit with one of its end fastened to the sliding arm. By moving its sliding arm along the resistor, the value of the resistor can be varied at between maximum and minimum (zero).
If the variable resistor is used in this way, it is called the rheostat. It is used to control the current flow in the circuit.
The maximum value of resistance was obtained when the slider moves on the lower position as what had shown on the illustration above- left portion. (You may click the image to enlarge). Likewise, when the slider moves upward would obtain the minimum value of resistance. This is the simple function of a variable resistor.
A variable resistor may have either two or three circuit connections. The first picture that you see below is the example of the three terminal teminal connections variable resisitor which are commonly known as Potentiometer.
This is one typical sample for three terminal connections...
Typical potentiometer looks like this.
The Potentiometer Connections
The circuit diagram of a potentiometer is really no more than that of a voltage divider chain. R1-R2 is a single resistor effectively divided by the sliding arm C, whose movement alters the relative values of R1 and R2. Please refer to circuit diagram above.
The output voltage can vary from zero (when C is lowered so that R2=0) to full circuit voltage (when C is moved up so that R1=0)
Variable resistors, like fixed resistors, can be made with resistance material of carbon or can be wired-wound, depending on the amount of current to be controlled - wire-wound for large currents and carbon for small currents.
Wire-wound variable resistors are constructed by winding resistance wire on a porcelain or bakelite circular form, with a contact arm which can be adjusted to any position on the circular form by means of a rotating shaft. A lead connected to this movable contact can then be used, with one or both of the end leads, to vary the resistance used.
For controlling small currents, carbon variable resistors are constructed by depositing a carbon compound on a fiber disk. A contact on a movable arm actsto vary resistance as the arm shaft is rotated.
On my next post, let's have some practical applications for DC Series Circuit here in Learn Electrical Engineering for Beginners.
Cheers!
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