potentiometer is an electrical element. Potentiometers are three terminal resistors. These resistors have voltage dividers that provide a voltage output that is less than the voltage input. Potentiometers provide smooth transitions of voltage levels and can be rotary or linear.
Applications of potentiometers
Audio
The main use of potentiometers is to control audio volume. Other potentiometers for audio are found in bass, treble and track knobs and allow users to select the degree of high and low frequencies heard or the specific song of a CD that will play. Studio producers have dozens of potentiometers on their sound equipment to get just the right sound and balance in a recording.
Lighting
Potentiometers commonly are found in the dimmers for lights. Dimmer switches operate linearly, but they work in the same way as the circular or knob type of potentiometer. When an individual adjusts the potentiometer, she impacts the current that is involved in the lighting and thus can make the lights softer or brighter according to the amount of electricity allowed to reach the bulb.
TV
potentiometers used to be standard on the devices. They controlled volume, but they also were used to control the brightness, color, contrast and vertical and horizontal hold.
Transducers
Potentiometers also are found in transducers. Transducers are essentially a type of converter--they convert one type of energy into another. Often they are applied for measurement devices.
Other Uses of potentiometers
Potentiometers can be applied in any device that requires smooth variation in current. They thus can be found in everything from electrical stoves to joysticks.also, manual potentiometers are being replaced with digital ones, and they are being increasingly applied in the area of computation.
