Electronics > Beginners
Potentiometer Range
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Richard Crowley:
Discussing an unknown circuit using words is almost useless.  That is why we have schematic diagrams.
Unless you can show us a schematic diagram of your test circuit, AND WHERE you are measuring the voltage, it doesn't mean much to us.

There are plenty of resources about potentiometers available online.
I spend a few quality milliseconds with Google and found hundreds.
Here are a couple of the better examples I saw after a quick review...

https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2015/01/resistor-types-resistors-fixed-variable-linear-non-linear.html#121_potentiometers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer

A potentiometer does NOT control voltage or current.  It only controls resisistance.
It COULD control voltage or current depending on how you connect it in a complete circuit.
But when it comes down to Ohm's Law, a potentiometer is just like any other resistor.

If you only connect between the "start" and "end" of the resistance, it is just like a fixed resistor.
Except that you can change the resistance between each end and the wiper.
And a potentiometer is effectively TWO resistors.
One resistor between the "start" and the "wiper",
and the other resistor between the "wiper" the "end" of the pot.
amyk:
Note that most potentiometers are not meant to pass large currents, and can be easily damaged if you do that --- ones which are, are usually called rheostats instead.
vidarr:
Thanks guys! Both the EE Library and Sparkfun links are great. The library link is especially awesome for me.
vidarr:
Is this a rheostat? I inherited it from my wife's dad.
ataradov:
This is air capacitor.
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