Most power supplies (such as batteries or wall outlet electricity) must be used in conjunction with a power supply circuit to power an electrical device. For some electrical devices (such as desktop computers), the power supply circuit must be able to supply multiple voltage values for the electrical device to work properly. One way of providing multiple voltages is by use of a voltage divider circuit. If, for example, a 12 Volt battery must supply 12 Volts of energy to one device and 6 Volts of energy to another, the voltage divider circuit can be tapped in two places to provide both voltage settings.
- One 12V battery
- Electrical wire
- Electrical pliers
- Two 1K? resistors
- Three ring terminals
- Soldering iron
- Electronic (rosin core) solder
The voltage differential between the first ring terminal and the second will be 6 Volts DC. The voltage differential between the first and third ring terminals will be 12 Volts DC.
Cut two lengths of electrical wire, and strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of each wire. Twist together one end of the first wire with one of the leads of the first resistor. Slip a ring terminal over this twisted pair of wires, and solder the terminal to the twisted pair.
Twist together the remaining lead from the first resistor and the first lead of the second resistor. Slip the second ring terminal over the twisted leads, and solder the terminal to the leads.
Twist together the free lead on the second resistor and one end of the second wire. Slip the third ring terminal over the twisted wire pair, and solder the terminal to the wires.
Attach the free end of the first wire to the positive battery terminal. Attach the free end of the second wire to the negative battery terminal.
Things You'll Need
Tips
References
- Principles of Electric Circuits: Thomas Floyd; 1997
Tips
- The voltage differential between the first ring terminal and the second will be 6 Volts DC. The voltage differential between the first and third ring terminals will be 12 Volts DC.
About the Author
David Sandoval holds a degree in microelectronics, and has several years of experience in the technology field. He has written articles for eHow, Answerbag, and wiseGEEK in the disciplines of chemistry, electronics, and physics.
Photo Credits
businessman with battery image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com