Introduction Potentiometer

In many practical applications it is not sufficient to use a fixed value resistor in the circuit. In those cases you use a resistor whose resistance value is continuously adjustable. For this purpose, you use potentiometers.

Potentiometers are omnipresent in your everyday life. The vast number of control knobs in stereos, ovens etc. consist of potentiometers. But not everywhere they are used as variable resistors. They are also used as adjustable voltage dividers.

On the following pages you get to know potentiometers. With simple circuits you get to know the basic characteristics. Thereafter you build applications with potentiometers that further explain the functionality.

Before you can start with the first experiments, please make a few preparations.