What is a Potentiometer?

Potentiometers can be used in a variety of applications and have been referred to as speed pots. They can be used to control the amount of voltage used by introducing resistance. Controlling the voltage of an AC motor affects the speed and can allow for manual control of a motor. To find out more about potentiometers check out the video.

With respect to the usage, installation or assembly of any products described in this video, Galco Industrial Electronics, Inc., a Michigan corporation, encourages you to follow the requirements and/or guidelines of: i) the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Public Law 91-596, as amended, and all laws, rules and regulations implemented in relation thereto; ii) the National Electric Code®; and iii) NFPA 70E®. Any installation, assembly or work described in this video should be performed by a qualified licensed electrician.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information provided is accurate and has been obtained from reliable sources, Galco is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. At all times you should defer to the instructions and safety guidelines issued by the manufacturer. In no event will Galco, its agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information provided to you or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

[sandrawong]

All this is thanks to Joseph poliakoff
Inventer of the volume knob

[charmindesai]

I have a question, Wanted to ask whether the power supplied to Bulb using POT is controlled or not.

Because I think there will always be loss of power in POT ( other than heat ), irrespective of the position of the wiper.

[riotangel]

Any comments about the construction quality of stereo potentiometers? Through the decades practically all my headphones with their own volume control simply cannot produce even current through both channels, and always have a L/R volume imbalance (or typically an outright silent left channel). That's even the case for brands like Senneheiser. Makes me wonder why is it so easy for these devices to fail?

[davidilogho]

Isn't it the current that changes with respect to the resistance, cos the voltage is constant? I=V/R.

[unforgettable]

Can we connect Potentiometer anywhere in transformer for increment or decrement of voltage physically? I mean can we connect 11000 volt wire to potentiometer to get 220 volt.Is that possible???.

[utoysadventurecruz]

your potentiometer available only in the US? Our ships uses or make use of this is your product distributed in Saudi Arabia? Just curious..

[subinnair]

So basically to make the bulb glow brighter we have to increase the resistance attached to it ??

[limerence]

I was looking up why do we prefer fluffy things to hairless things, but before I typed fluffy one of the options was why do we prefer potentiometer? Had no clue what it was or why it was in my Google suggestions. After watching this I still have no clue for the latter and only sorta understand the former.

[hemidsahmerdanov]

Hello . my accordion microphone grundig gdsm 331. The 10k potentiometer did not work well, the sound quality was poor. what potentiometer do you recommend me???

[unforgettable]

The device used to increase or decrease the speed of ceiling fan is Potentiometer or something else??

[kojimapromeatspin]

HELP! im trying to install one of these to my mobility scooter. what info do i need about my scooter to look for to find the right potentiometer?? thank you

[zackarylitalien]

How did you wire the lightbulb to potentiometer?

[Geopholus]

This script is full of misleading terminology. Commonly called speed pots? In 55 years of involvement in electronics, I have never heard the term "speed pot".... pot... yes not speed pot. A potentiometer is a variable voltage divider. You can't use a small potentiometer to directly control a high powered lightbulb as visually indicated in this video. It would be great if You actually showed something about the construction of a potentiometer. The resistance does not control the "amount of voltage that passes through" as any value of resistor always allows ALL the voltage to pass through. It is a voltage divider that produces a variable potential across the resistor based on the proportion of one resistance compared to the other and the amount of power dissipated in each leg of the circuit. Who ever writes a script for a video such as this should really understand how to describe the concepts they are attempting to convey. Because most people think that potentiometers ARE something that controls power going through them, (which is in fact a rheostat), which are virtually never used any more because they waste so much energy, .... it would be useful to explain that misconception. Potentiometers are used to vary a potential (voltage) that is usually used as an input to some kind of control circuit, that either controls the duty cycle of an AC power source or controls the current flowing to some device that is being driven. Incidentally many potentiometers have more than three terminals.

[phasorsystems]

Are your teachers busy? seek androidcircuitsolver on google

[nathns]

Don't listen to this video It's the current that changes not voltage you have the pot wired as a Tachometer. Poor video look else where foe better explanation.