CIRCUIT

COMPONENTS
VARIABLE RESISTOR
• A variable resistor (rheostat) contains a length of resistance wire and an adjustable
sliding contact.
• The resistance can be set to any value from nearly zero to the highest resistance the
component can provide.
• Examples of variable resistors are to change the brightness of the light in homes or in
car and changing the speed of an electric motor.
VARIABLE RESISTOR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-f2qM14CJE
VARIABLE RESISTOR IN A CIRCUIT
 CURRENT, VOLTAGE
AND RESISTANCE
• Assuming the motor has a resistance of 4.5Ω.
When the variable resistor is set to 0Ω, the motor
will move in full speed of 9V.

• If I increase the resistance of R1 to 4.5Ω, what is

the combined resistance of the circuit?

• Now, what is the potential difference across the

motor?
 POTENTIOMETER AND
POTENTIAL DIVIDER
• Potentiometer has three points connected to
the circuit (both ends of the resistance wire
and the adjustable contact)
• The only difference is the potentiometer can
adjust until the minimum where the potential
difference will be 0 V.

• Most of the potentiometer is used for

volume control on most audio equipment.
ACTIONS IN POTENTIAL
DIVIDER
• By looking at Figure (a), the two resistors are
connected in series and the total potential
difference between the two resistors are 6 V.
• When both the resistor RA and RB are equal, the
potential difference from X to output will be 3 V.
• Changing the circuit to potentiometer (Figure (b)),
the potential difference can be change between 0
V to 6 V.
LDR AND THERMISTOR
• Semiconductor silicon is used to make light-dependent resistors (LDRs) and thermistors.
• Semiconductors do not conduct electricity well due to fewer free electrons than metals
but can conduct electricity better than an insulator.

LDR
Thermistor
• The higher the light
• The higher the
intensity, the lower
temperature, the
the resistance.
lower the resistance.
• Usually used in street
• Used as temperature
lamps that switch on
sensors such as fire
at night and burglar
alarm, in oven and
alarm that sets a light
also in fridge.
beam.
INPUT TRANSDUCER
• LDR and thermistor are suitable
electrical transducer where heat and
light energy can be converted into
electrical energy.
• Calculate the output voltage of the
circuit given that the Vin is 5 V and R s
is 10 kΩ:
• In bright days, where R L = 3 kΩ
• At night, where RL = 200 kΩ
RELAY
• Relay is an electromagnet that can operate one or more
switch contacts.
• Relay transfer electrical energy to mechanical energy.
• The diagram shows that when the switch is opened, point A
and B are joined.
• But when the electromagnet is energised, the point A and C
are joined to choose the relay to operate different circuit.
• Another relay application is to allow small current to close
the contact for a very large current in the second circuit
(starter motor).
ALTERNATING
• Alternating current (a.c.) are the flowing of
CURRENT
electrons in the circuit in both directions
rather than one direction like direct
current (d.c.).
• The positive and negative e.m.f. shows
the current is moving in back and forth.
THE DIODE AS A RECTIFIER
• When the current keep changing direction, diode can be used to keep the current back
into one direction.
• The red line in the graph showed that the diode had successfully rectified the a.c.
• However, the voltage of the red line fluctuate with time. Thos is not desirable as our
electrical equipment will on and off every time..
FITTING A CAPACITOR
• A capacitor helps to ‘smoothen’ the red line mentioned just now.
• As capacitor can be charged up by the pulses of electricity, it will be delivering a steady
forward current.
LIGHT-SENSITIVE SWITCH
• The LDR can be used as a relay circuit to closed
another circuit contact.
• When the LDR reduce in light source, the
resistance in the LDR will increase.
• This will in turn increase the relay coil voltage and
hence causing another circuit to close the relay
switch.
• Notice that there are two different circuit and this is
one of the safety feature of this circuit.