DC Fundamentals Unit 11 – Potentiometers and Rheostats
Unit 11 – Potentiometers and Rheostats ....................................................................................
UNIT OBJECTIVE
At the completion of this unit, you will be able to identify and demonstrate the use of a
potentiometer and a rheostat.
UNIT FUNDAMENTALS
A variable resistor consists of a resistive element that is electrically connected to a pair of
terminals (1 and 2). The center terminal (3) is connected to the wiper arm, which, when moved
by shaft rotation, changes the resistance between the center terminal and the other two terminals.
A variable resistor using three external terminals to connect into a circuit is a potentiometer
(pot).
A pot controls voltage to a circuit.