What happens to the potential difference across a segment of a potentiometer wire if the length of that segment is halved?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What happens to the potential difference across a segment of a potentiometer wire if the length of that segment is halved?
It doubles
It halves
It remains the same
It becomes zero
If the length of the segment is halved, the potential difference across that segment also halves, assuming the potential gradient remains constant.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What happens to the potential difference across a segment of a potentiometer wire if the length of that segment is halved?
Solution: If the length of the segment is halved, the potential difference across that segment also halves, assuming the potential gradient remains constant.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what a potentiometer wire is. It is a long wire that can measure voltage differences.
Step 2: Know that the potential difference (voltage) across a segment of the wire depends on its length.
Step 3: Recognize that the potential gradient (voltage per unit length) is constant along the wire.
Step 4: If you halve the length of the segment, you are taking a shorter piece of the wire.
Step 5: Since the potential gradient is constant, a shorter segment will have a smaller potential difference.
Step 6: Therefore, if the length is halved, the potential difference across that segment also halves.
