dividers

Dividers are tools, devices, or elements that create separation, division, or scaling between parts of a system. They occur in technical instruments, electronic circuits, architectural spaces, and everyday objects, serving to measure, separate, or attenuate signals, spaces, or materials.

In drafting and geometry, dividers (often called compass dividers) are a hand tool with two pointed legs. They are used to transfer measurements, scribe arcs, or mark equal divisions on drawings, maps, or charts.

In electronics, a voltage divider is a circuit in which two or more resistors are connected in series to produce a fraction of the input voltage at a specified node. For a simple two-resistor divider, Vout equals Vin multiplied by R2/(R1+R2). Dividers rely on Ohm's law and are affected by component tolerances, loading effects, and temperature coefficients. They are used to generate reference voltages, attenuate signals, and interface sensors.

In digital electronics, frequency dividers reduce a clock or carrier frequency by a fixed factor, often implemented with counters or flip-flops. They enable timing management, baud rate control, and clock distribution in communication and processing systems.

Divider can also refer to physical partitions that separate spaces, such as screens or walls, and to typographic or interface elements that separate content, such as horizontal rules or separators in documents and software.