Fall Training Project 5

Materials Needed 

1. For this project, you will need to use the TinkerCAD software as the Arduino kits do not have potentiometers.

2. You will need: An Arduino, a potentiometer, wires, a resistor, and an LED.

Steps 

1. A potentiometer is another example of a variable resistor, and just like the photoresistor, can change resistance values depending on something else. In this case, it's the position of the knob that determines the resistance.

2. First, start with a resistor that is around 100 ohms of resistance. The reason why it isn’t 370 to 500 ohms is because we have a variable resistor, which adds to the total resistance.

3. Connect that resistor to the GND of the Arduino.

4. Then, connect the potentiometers left or right pin (doesn’t really matter) to the resistor.

5. Then, connect the middle pin of the potentiometer to the cathode of the LED.

6. Finally, connect the anode of the LED to the 5V of the Arduino.

7. That’s it, run the simulation, and click and drag the knob and see what happens.

Explanation of how it works 

1. A potentiometer uses a piece of metal that slides across a circular piece of metal.

2. When you turn the knob, it moves that piece of metal, and either increases, or decreases the distance between itself and the pin of the potentiometer that is connected to the circuit.

3. This change in distance creates the change in resistance. If you think about it, the longer it takes for the electron to travel means it bumps into things more often, creating resistance against the electron.