In a potentiometer setup, if the known voltage is increased, what happens to the
Practice Questions
Q1
In a potentiometer setup, if the known voltage is increased, what happens to the length of the wire required to balance the unknown voltage?
It increases
It decreases
It remains the same
It becomes zero
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a potentiometer setup, if the known voltage is increased, what happens to the length of the wire required to balance the unknown voltage?
Correct Answer: Length of wire increases
Step 1: Understand that a potentiometer is used to measure voltage by comparing it to a known voltage.
Step 2: Recognize that the known voltage is applied across a wire, creating a potential gradient (voltage per unit length).
Step 3: If the known voltage is increased, the potential gradient along the wire also increases.
Step 4: To balance the unknown voltage, you need to find a point on the wire where the voltage matches the unknown voltage.
Step 5: Since the potential gradient is higher with the increased known voltage, you will need a longer length of wire to reach the same voltage as the unknown voltage.
Step 6: Therefore, if the known voltage is increased, a longer length of wire is required to balance the unknown voltage.
