A potentiometer consists of a resistive element and a sliding contact called a wiper. By moving the wiper along the resistive track, the user changes the ratio of resistance between the center terminal and the two outer terminals. It is widely used as a tunable voltage divider for audio volume controls, sensor calibration, and user interfaces.
The schematic calls for a 10k linear potentiometer to control the bias voltage.
Also heard as
- pot
Related terms
Pot
A common shorthand for a potentiometer used to adjust resistance in a circuit.
Rheostat
A two-terminal variable resistor used to control current flow in a circuit.
Voltage divider
A simple passive circuit that scales down an input voltage to a lower, predictable output level.
Trimpot
A small, adjustable resistor used for fine-tuning a circuit during manufacturing or calibration.