Figure 3-19(a) shows a 24 V voltage source driving a 10 & resistor that is located 1000 ft from the battery. If two 1000 ft lengths of AWG No. 13 wire are used to connect the source to the load, what will be the voltage applied across the load? uc Wite @) ~ 1000 Feet of No. 19 AWG Copper Wire =100 Wire @ - 1000 Feet of No. 18 AWG Copper ( Fa Wire Meeatee 205m) “88 Load Resistance, (*) 7 eo Vag) = 17-14 V Wire @) Resistance -20 (o) FIGURE 3-19 Series Wire Resistance. Solution: Referring back to Table 2-3, you can see that AWG No. 13 copper cable has a resistance of 2,003 Q for every 1000 ft. To be more accurate, this means that our circuit should be redrawn as shown in Figure 3-19(b) to show the series resistances of wire 1 and wire 2. Using the voltage-divider formula, we can calculate the voltage drop across wire 1 and wire 2. Since the voltage drop across wire 2 will also be 3.43 V, the total voltage drop across ‘both wires will be 6.86 V. The remainder, 17.14 V (24 V — 6.86 V = 17.14 V), will appear across the load resistor, Ry. 3-4-2 Variable Voltage Divider When discussing variable-value resistors in Chapter 2, we talked about a potentiometer, ot vari- able voltage divider, which consists of a fixed value of resistance between two terminals and a wiper that can be adjusted to vary resistance between its terminal and one of the other two. SECTION 3-4 VOLTAGE IN ASERIES CIRCUIT 101102 ») Equivalent QM) to by FIGURE 3.20 Potentiometer Wiper in Mid-Position. As an example, Figure 3-20(a) illustrates a 10 Q potentiometer that has been hooked up across a 10 V de source with a voltmeter between terminals B and C, Ifthe wiper terminal is positioned midway between A and C; the voltmeter should read 5 V, and the potentiometer will be equivalent 19 two 5 KO resistors in series, as shown in Figure 3-20(b). Kirchhof’s voltage law states that the entire source voltage will be dropped across the resistances in the circuit, and since the resistance values are equal, cach will drop half ofthe source voltage, that is, 5 V. In Figure 3-21(a), the wiper has been moved down so that the resistance between A and B is equal to 8 k®, and the resistance between B and C equals 2 kQ. This will produce 2V on the voltmeter, as shown in Figure 3-21(b). The amount of voltage drop is proportional to the resistance, 50a larger voltage will be dropped across the larger resistance. Using the volt- age-divider formula, you can calculate that the 8 kQ resistance is 80% of the total resistance and therefore will drop 80% of the voltage: Rw 8k Regi stac OKO eae vanoa: The 2 KO resistance between B and C is 20% of the total resistance and consequently will drop 20% of the total voltage: Van Rye 20 wy =2V Fey ye Voc = Roa 8" TORn In Figure 3-22(a), the wiper has been moved up and now 2 kO exists between A and B, and 8 kQ2 is present between B and C. In tis situation, 2 V will be dropped across the 2 kQ between A and 8, and 8 V will be dropped across the 8 KM between B and C, as shown in Figure 3-22(b). A af ke Equivalent 7 (Ov) Bt TT 20S (vm) = av c (by FIGURE 3-21 Potentiometer Wiper in Lower Position. (CHAPTER 3 / SERIES CIRCUITSEquivalent to (a) o FIGURE 3.22 _Potentiometer Wiper in Upper Position. ~ ov (a) (o) FIGURE 3.23, Minimum and Maximum Settings of a Potentiometer. From this discussion, you can see thatthe potentiometer can be adjusted to supply dif- ferent voltages on the wiper. This voltage can be decreased by moving the wiper down to supply 2 minimam of 0 V as shown in Figure 3-23(a), or the wiper can be moved up to sup- ply a maximum of 10 V as shovn in Figure 3-23(b). By adjusting the wiper position, the po- ‘entiomerer can be made to deliver any voltage between its maximum and minimum value, Which is why the potentiometer is known as a variable voltage divider. EXAMPLE: Figure 3-24 illustrates how a potentiometer can be used to contol the output volume of an amplifier that is being driven by a compact disk (CD) player. The preamplifier is produc- ing an output of 2 V, which is developed across a 50 KQ potentiometer. IF the wiper of the potentiometer is in its upper position, the full 2 V from the preamp will be applied into the input of the power amplifier. The power amplifier has a fixed voltage gain (Ay) of 12, and therefore the power amplifier’s output is always 12 times larger than the input voltage. An input of 2 V (Vi) will therefore produce an output voltage (Vj) of 24 V (Vaux = Vig X Av =2VX12=24V), AAs the wiper is moved down, less of the 2 V from the preamp will be applied to th power amplifier, and therefore the output of the power amplifier and volume of the musi heard will decrease. Ifthe wiper of the potentiometer is adjusted so that a resistance of 20 K&2 exists between the wiper and the lower end of the potentiometer, what will be the input voltage to the power amplifier and output voltage to the speaker? SECTION 3-4/ VOLTAGE IN A SERIES CIRCUIT