If the resistance of the potentiometer wire is increased, what effect does it ha
Practice Questions
Q1
If the resistance of the potentiometer wire is increased, what effect does it have on the potential gradient?
It increases.
It decreases.
It remains the same.
It becomes zero.
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the resistance of the potentiometer wire is increased, what effect does it have on the potential gradient?
Correct Answer: Potential gradient decreases.
Step 1: Understand what a potentiometer is. It is a device used to measure voltage by comparing it to a known voltage.
Step 2: Know that the potentiometer wire has a certain resistance, which affects how voltage is distributed along the wire.
Step 3: Remember that the potential gradient is the change in voltage per unit length of the wire.
Step 4: If you increase the resistance of the potentiometer wire, the total resistance in the circuit goes up.
Step 5: With the same voltage applied across the wire, a higher resistance means that the voltage is spread out over a longer distance.
Step 6: Since the voltage is now distributed over a higher resistance, the potential gradient (voltage per unit length) decreases.
Potential Gradient – The potential gradient in a potentiometer is defined as the change in potential (voltage) per unit length of the wire. It is influenced by the total resistance of the wire and the voltage applied across it.
Ohm's Law – Ohm's Law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance.
