In a potentiometer experiment, if the balance point shifts when a load is connected, what does it indicate?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In a potentiometer experiment, if the balance point shifts when a load is connected, what does it indicate?
The load has infinite resistance
The load has zero resistance
The load affects the circuit's total resistance
The potentiometer is faulty
A shift in the balance point indicates that the load connected affects the total resistance in the circuit, altering the potential difference across the potentiometer wire.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: In a potentiometer experiment, if the balance point shifts when a load is connected, what does it indicate?
Solution: A shift in the balance point indicates that the load connected affects the total resistance in the circuit, altering the potential difference across the potentiometer wire.
Steps: 7
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 balance point is where the voltage across the potentiometer wire matches the voltage of the source being measured.
Step 3: When a load (like a resistor or device) is connected to the circuit, it changes the total resistance in the circuit.
Step 4: This change in resistance affects the current flowing through the circuit.
Step 5: As the current changes, the potential difference (voltage) across the potentiometer wire also changes.
Step 6: If the balance point shifts, it means the voltage across the potentiometer wire is no longer equal to the source voltage due to the load.
Step 7: Therefore, a shift in the balance point indicates that the load is affecting the circuit's total resistance and the voltage distribution.
