A voltage stabilizer is any device that keeps the voltage of a circuit at a specified level. There are many different types of voltage stabilizers but integrated circuit (IC) voltage stabilizers are among the most common. You will frequently need a voltage stabilizer for components that require regulated power. You can demonstrate the use of a voltage stabilizer in a circuit with a few components from an electronics parts store.
- 7805 voltage regulator
- Mounting board
- Battery holder
- Electrical wire
- Light bulb
Identify the parts of the voltage regulator. Place the voltage regulator so that you can read the printing on it. The digits "78" indicate a positive voltage regulator and the digits "05" indicate a 5-volt regulator. For a positive voltage regulator like a 7805, the left lead is the input, the middle lead is the ground and the right lead is the output.
Mount the voltage regulator on the mounting board. Each of the voltage regulator's three leads should be inserted into a different hole in the mounting board so that the three holes are in the same column but different rows.
Mount the light bulb on the mounting board. Insert the lead for the light bulb's positive terminal into a hole on the same row as the voltage regulator's output lead. Insert the light bulb's negative lead into a hole on the same row as the voltage regulator's ground lead.
Insert the positive lead of the battery holder into a hole on the same row as the voltage regulator's input. Insert the negative lead of the battery holder into a hole on the same row as the voltage regulator's ground and the light bulb's negative lead.
Place the battery in the battery holder. The light bulb now receives a stable voltage of 5 volts even though the power supply is a 9-volt battery. This type of voltage regulator will dump the excess voltage as heat.
Things You'll Need
References
About the Author
Allan Robinson has written numerous articles for various health and fitness sites. Robinson also has 15 years of experience as a software engineer and has extensive accreditation in software engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree with majors in biology and mathematics.