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Rheostat

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Rheostat A rheostat is basically a variable resistor generally having two terminals. Though Rheostats can be used as series resistors or potentiometers but there are some differences between a Rheostat and a Potentiometer. Rheostat is essentially a single variable resistor and typically causes current to vary with the variation in resistance and controls the amount of current flowing in a circuit. Also, Rheostats are much bigger and designed in a fashion for handling much higher voltage and current.

Rheostats are are designed in a way for handling very high voltage and current. Rheostats are manufactured as a resistive wire which is wrapped to form a toroid coil. A wiper is made to move over the top surface of the toroid, sliding from one turn of the wire to the other. Many a times a Rheostat is constructed from a resistance wire. The resistance wire is wound on a heat resisting cylinder. The slider is manufactured using a number of metal fingers which grips very lightly onto a small portion of the turns found in a resistance wire. By sliding a knob the 'fingers can easily be made to travel along the coil of resistance wire. In this way there is a change in the 'tapping' point

Types of Rheostat
Rotary Rheostat Rotary Rheostat
A Rotary Rheostat essentially consist of a resistance element, a rotatable slider and a bearing. The resistance element ia typically a wire-wound ring. The current supply to the rotatable slider can be provided through a sliding contact or a spiral spring. The sliding contact construction is relatively simple and provides the advantage of relatively easy assembly of the individual parts.

Sliding Rheostat Sliding Rheostat
Sliding Rheostats are popular in physics lab experiments that needs changing of the resistance or electric current. As compared to a rotary Rheostat, Sliding Rheostats provide better monitoring of the adjustments made on a rectilinear scale.

Rheostat with Double Runner
Rheostat with Double runner is employed for altering the current intensity or also can be used as potentiometers for altering the difference of potential. A Rheostat with Double runner featured here is manufactured by using slate prisms with a wire wound on them. It is supported by a metallic frame and two different cursors. The design of the terminal boards facilitate connecting of the two resistances in parallel or series. Thus permitting a larger use of the Rheostat. An unique data plate applied to the cursor of the Rheostat warns about the total resistance and current that can be sustained by the rheostat for the short interval without any risk.


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