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Potentiometers are Variable Resistors

1,162 bytes added, 04:46, 28 May 2007
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=== Linear and Audio Taper ===The taper of a pot refers to the way its resistance changes as the shaft is rotated. A linear taper pot is exactly what you would guess it to be, a graph of resistance (from one end to center) versus shaft rotation would be a straight line. If you tried to use a linear taper pot as a volume control you would be most unhappy with its performance. The sound level would go from nothing to almost full volume in about the first ten degrees of rotation and the rest would have almost no audible effect. This is because the ear responds to sound logarithmically rather than linearly. That's why sound engineers use the decibel which is a logarithmic function of power. An audio taper pot has a function which approximates a logarithmic function.The way to identify an audio taper pot is to set it to half rotation and measure from center to each end with an ohmmeter. If the resistances are approximately equal you have a linear pot. If the resistance from the counter clockwise end to center is about 10% of the total and the resistance from the clockwise end to the center is about 90% then you are holding an audio taper pot.
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