spannungsgeteilter

Spannungsgeteilter, commonly called a voltage divider, is an electrical circuit or network that provides a scaled-down output voltage from a higher input voltage by distributing the voltage across two or more series impedances. In its simplest form, a two-resistor divider consists of R1 and R2 in series across Vin, with Vout taken across R2. The ratio is Vout = Vin · R2/(R1+R2). For multiple resistors, Vout at a given tap follows the same principle: the voltage across a portion of the chain equals Vin times the sum of the resistances up to that point divided by the total resistance.

Types include resistive dividers, capacitive dividers (used for AC and high-frequency signals, where the impedance ratio depends on frequency), and inductive dividers (based on mutual inductance). Potentiometers and trimmers act as adjustable dividers, allowing manual setting of the output level. Applications encompass scaling down high voltages for measurement, biasing and reference generation for ADCs and op-amps, level shifting in signal conditioning, and sensor interfacing.

Design considerations include the load impedance of the following stage; if it is too low compared with the divider’s resistance, loading errors occur and Vout deviates from the ideal value. Tolerances and temperature coefficients of resistors affect accuracy and drift. Higher resistor values reduce power consumption but increase susceptibility to noise and leakage; lower values improve drive but waste power. To mitigate loading effects, a buffer such as a voltage-follower op-amp may be used between the divider and the next stage. Safety considerations are important when dealing with high voltages, requiring proper insulation and isolation.