Kingtronics Blog

What is a Potentiometer?

A potentiometer is an adjustable resistor, often referred to as a variable resistor. It is classified as a passive component, alongside other types of resistors, such as fixed resistors. A potentiometer consists of a resistive element in the shape of an arc, with a sliding contact (or wiper) that moves over the arc to vary resistance.

Common Terms for Potentiometers

Potentiometers are known by various names across different languages and industries. They are often referred to as:

• Trimming Potentiometer
• Trimmer
• Preset Potentiometer
• Carbon Trimming Potentiometer
• Cermet Trimming Potentiometer
• SMD Trimming Potentiometer
• Surface Mount Trimming Potentiometer
• Through-hole Trimming Potentiometer
• Multiturn Trimmer
• Single-turn Trimming Potentiometer
• Wirewound Potentiometer
• Precision Potentiometer

International Terms for Potentiometers

The term "potentiometer" is used globally in various languages, such as:

• Potenciómetros (Spanish)
• POTENCIOMETRO MULTI-VOLTA (Portuguese)
• 3386 PRESET 1 VUELTA (Spanish)
• Potentiomètre (French)
• Potenziometer (Italian)