voltage divider sanity check

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Forum Name: Car Audio
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URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=132005
Printed Date: June 11, 2024 at 10:28 AM

Topic: voltage divider sanity check

Posted By: corrollaman
Subject: voltage divider sanity check
Date Posted: August 14, 2012 at 4:59 PM

Okay so Vout=Vin(Rtop/rbottom+Rtop

Facts:

All my resistors are 1\4 watt resistors.

Vin=12-14.4 volts

On one of my dividers I decided to use resistors I had on hand. 470 and 200.

I then did the math to find the Power Dissipated (Vin*Vin\Rtop+Rbottom)

I come up with .3 Watts

Sooo, I have read places that you want to use the smallest resistors, buttttt then my power dissipated goes up.. Should I just go to a 1\2 Watt resistor and call it a day??

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AJM

Replies:

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: August 14, 2012 at 7:19 PM

It is .3 watts. But it will be divided (not evenly) among the 2 resistors. You will be fine.

Posted By: corrollaman
Date Posted: August 15, 2012 at 7:47 AM

Do you know the calculation to determine that Watts per resistor?

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AJM

Posted By: oldspark
Date Posted: August 15, 2012 at 9:57 AM

VxV/R or IxI/R

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