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Electricity
Part 3

1
Potential Divider

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Potential Divider

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Potential Divider

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 B

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 B

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Potential Divider

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Circuits To Study The I-V
Characteristics Of A Filament
Lamp

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(i) Battery OR wire OR ammeter will have some resistance. So 12 V is shared by
the bulb and the battery OR wire OR ammeter. Hence p.d across the lamp
cannot be increased to 12 V

(ii) For the p.d across the lamp to be zero, current through the lamp must be
zero. For this resistance of the variable resistor must be infinite which is not
possible.

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12 V is shared by the two halves of the resistor.

The p.d across the left-hand half of the resistor is available across the lamp.

If the resistance of the left-hand half is zero, then p.d across the lamp would be
zero.

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Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)
Or Light Sensor

• Is a semiconductor device.

• When the intensity of light increases, the

number of charge carriers increases and
hence resistance decreases.

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Automatic Light Switch

• When light stops shining on the LDR, its

resistance increases, resulting in an
increase in Vout.

• The increase in Vout in turn activates the

electronic switch that puts on the lights.

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 Thermistor (Negative Temperature
Coefficient thermistor)

• Is a semiconductor device

• When the temperature increases, the

number of charge carriers increases
and hence resistance decreases.

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Fire Alarm

• When the thermistor gets hot, its

resistance decreases, resulting in an
increased current through R2, which in

turn leads to an increase in Vout.

• The increase in Vout activates an

electronic switch that rings a bell.

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 D

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 C

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References

IB Physics guide IB Physics IB past papers Various internet

2016 Textbooks sources

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