DC Voltage Divider Calculator

Voltage Divider Formula:

\[ V_{out} = V_{in} \times \frac{R2}{R1 + R2} \]

Output Voltage (V_out): volts

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1. What is a DC Voltage Divider Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the output voltage of a simple two-resistor voltage divider circuit in DC applications.

Purpose: It helps electronics engineers, technicians, and hobbyists design and analyze voltage divider circuits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the voltage divider formula:

\[ V_{out} = V_{in} \times \frac{R2}{R1 + R2} \]

Where:

\( V_{out} \) — Output voltage (volts)
\( V_{in} \) — Input voltage (volts)
\( R1 \) — First resistor (ohms)
\( R2 \) — Second resistor (ohms)

Explanation: The output voltage is proportional to the ratio of R2 to the total resistance (R1 + R2).

3. Importance of Voltage Divider Calculation

Details: Accurate voltage division is crucial for creating reference voltages, biasing transistors, and interfacing between different voltage level circuits.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the input voltage and both resistor values. All values must be > 0. The output will be automatically calculated.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the maximum current through the resistors?
A: Current = V_in/(R1 + R2). Ensure resistors can handle the power dissipation (P = I²R).

Q2: Can I use this for AC circuits?
A: Only for DC. For AC, you need to consider impedance and phase relationships.

Q3: What happens if R2 is much larger than R1?
A: V_out approaches V_in (nearly full input voltage appears across R2).

Q4: How does load resistance affect the output?
A: Any load in parallel with R2 will lower the effective resistance and thus the output voltage.

Q5: What are typical applications?
A: Sensor interfacing, reference voltage creation, signal attenuation, and biasing circuits.