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Voltmeters
Theymeasurethedifferenceinpotential betweentwopointsso
theyareconnectedinparallel.
IdealVoltmeters
Theyshouldhavean
infiniteresistancesothat
nocurrentistakenfrom
thecircuit.
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Ammeters
IdealAmmeter
Thishaszeroresistancesothatitdoesntlowerthecurrent in
thecircuit.
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Voltmeters
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Ammeters
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Sensors
Thermistor
LightDependent
Resistor
StrainGauge
Morelight,releases
moreelectrons,which
lowerstheResistance.
Asitgetshotter,more
chargecarriersare
releasedbythematerial
loweringtheResistance
Asthestraingaugeis
stretchedthewireinsideit
getsthinner,increasing
theResistance.
LightR TemperatureR StrainR
AllofthesesensorscanbeusedwithVariableResistorsand
PotentialDividerstoswitchOutput devicesONorOFF
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Potential Dividers
24v
2u
2u
24v
4u
8u
v=16v
M
v=12v
Becausetheresistors
areequalthe
potentialdifference
acrosseachoneis
equal.
Thistimethe
potentialisdivided
intodifferent
proportions.
Withthethermistor
insteadofafixed
resistor,theattached
motorwillgofaster
whenthethermistor
getscolder.
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Sensors
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PotentialDividers
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Explainthese
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Potential Divider Equation
I
out
= I
n
(
R
2
R
1
+R
2
)
YoucaneithercalculateV
out
using
ratiosandyourknowledgeof
PotentialDifference.
OR
Youcanuseanequation(which
doesthesamething):
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Automatic Light Switch
Howdoesitwork?
Whenlight shinesontheLDR
theresistanceisverylow.
ThismakesV
out
low,sothe
switchisoff.
Whenitgetsdark theLDRs
resistanceincreases.
ThismakesV
out
muchlargerand
theswitchcomeson.
Whatsimplechangewouldmaketheswitchcomeoninthelight?
SwapR
1
andtheLDR
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PotentialDividerEquation
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AutomaticLightSwitch
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Fire Alarm
Whenthetemperature rises
theresistance ofthe
thermistorfalls.
Thepotentialdifferenceacross
thethermistorbecomes low.
Mostofthepotential
difference isnowacrossR
2
whichturnsontheElectronic
Switch.
Theelectronicswitchcanbeusedtoring
abellorturnonasprinklersystem
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Strain Gauge
AstheStraingaugeis
stretchedbyheavyloads
itsresistancerises.
Thepdacrossthestrain
gaugebecomeslarger.
Thevoltmetercanbe
monitored.
Lowvaluesmeanlarge
strainsinthiscircuit.
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FireAlarm
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StrainGauge
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Using a Potential Divider to investigate Ohms Law
ThePotentialDividerallowthePotentialDifferenceacrossthebulbtobe
varied.
TheAmmeter measuresthecurrent throughthebulb.
TheVoltmeter measuresthePD acrossthebulb
BycollectingpairsofVandI, anOhmsLawgraphcanbeplotted.
Thisarrowshowsthatthepotential
dividercanbevaried thisisalso
calledaRheostat.
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UsingaPotentialDivider
toinvestigateOhmsLaw