Dimmer switch. This is the inside of the switch. The working components of a dimmer switch consist of a rheostat (variable resistor, lower left). Turn

---

Dimmer switch. This is the inside of the switch. The working components of a dimmer switch consist of a rheostat (variable resistor, lower left). Turning a circular knob increases the resistance in the rheostat, thereby lowering the amount of voltage available to the light and dimming it. This is a somewhat innefficient solution, since a lot of power is lost as heat energy from the resistor. More efficient modern systems rapidly switch the electrical supply on and off to effect the same result.

---

Size: 4877px × 3582px
Photo credit: © ANDREW LAMBERT PHOTOGRAPHY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: capacitor, component, components, dimmer, electricity, electronic, electronics, equipment, internal, physical, physics, resistor, resistors, rheostat, switch, technological, technology, variable