In a potentiometer circuit, if the length of the wire is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, what happens to the potential gradient?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In a potentiometer circuit, if the length of the wire is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, what happens to the potential gradient?
It doubles
It halves
It remains the same
It becomes zero
The potential gradient is defined as the potential difference per unit length. If the length is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, the potential gradient halves.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: In a potentiometer circuit, if the length of the wire is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, what happens to the potential gradient?
Solution: The potential gradient is defined as the potential difference per unit length. If the length is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, the potential gradient halves.
Steps: 7
Step 1: Understand what a potentiometer circuit is. It uses a wire to measure voltage.
Step 2: Know that the potential gradient is the amount of voltage (potential difference) per unit length of the wire.
Step 3: Remember the formula for potential gradient: Potential Gradient = Potential Difference / Length of the wire.
Step 4: If the length of the wire is doubled, the new length becomes 2 times the original length.
Step 5: Since the potential difference remains constant, we can use the formula: New Potential Gradient = Potential Difference / (2 * Original Length).
Step 6: This means the new potential gradient is half of the original potential gradient because you are dividing by a larger number (2 times the length).
Step 7: Conclude that if the length of the wire is doubled while keeping the potential difference constant, the potential gradient halves.
