Which term describes a circuit that keeps the output voltage constant as the load current changes?

Which term describes a circuit that keeps the output voltage constant as the load current changes?

• A. Power Supply Circuits
• B. Reverse bias
• C. Solid-state
• D. Band-pass

Answer: (A)

A voltage regulator is the component in a power supply that holds the output voltage steady as the load current changes. It does this by continuously monitoring the output and adjusting a pass element (like a transistor) so any change in current drawn by the load is compensated. When the load draws more current and the voltage tends to drop, the regulator increases conduction to push the voltage back up. When the load current drops, it reduces conduction to prevent the voltage from rising. There are linear regulators, which use a continuous control signal and waste more energy, and switching regulators, which regulate by rapidly switching and storing energy for higher efficiency. The other terms in the list don’t describe this behavior: a power supply circuit is a broad category; reverse bias relates to diode operation; solid-state simply means built from solid-state devices; band-pass refers to a filter that passes a certain range of frequencies. So the concept you’re looking for is a voltage regulator (a regulated power supply) that maintains constant output voltage despite changes in load current.

A voltage regulator is the component in a power supply that holds the output voltage steady as the load current changes. It does this by continuously monitoring the output and adjusting a pass element (like a transistor) so any change in current drawn by the load is compensated. When the load draws more current and the voltage tends to drop, the regulator increases conduction to push the voltage back up. When the load current drops, it reduces conduction to prevent the voltage from rising. There are linear regulators, which use a continuous control signal and waste more energy, and switching regulators, which regulate by rapidly switching and storing energy for higher efficiency. The other terms in the list don’t describe this behavior: a power supply circuit is a broad category; reverse bias relates to diode operation; solid-state simply means built from solid-state devices; band-pass refers to a filter that passes a certain range of frequencies. So the concept you’re looking for is a voltage regulator (a regulated power supply) that maintains constant output voltage despite changes in load current.