Potential Divider Sensor Calibration for H2 Physics Practical: Thermistor, LDR and Vout Graphs

Q: What does a potential divider sensor practical test?
A: It tests whether you can convert a changing resistance into a measurable output voltage, then calibrate that voltage against temperature or light intensity.

TL;DR
A thermistor or LDR in a potential divider turns temperature or light level into Vout. Choose a fixed resistor near the sensor's working resistance, measure Vout against a known reference, plot a calibration graph, and use the graph to interpolate unknown values. ACE marks come from loading, self-heating, thermal lag, ambient light, and non-linear response.

Use this with H2 Physics Paper 4 spreadsheet skills, H2 Physics capacitor RC practical, and H2 Physics practical lab mastery.

Status: SEAB H2 Physics 9478 syllabus checked 2026-05-01. Topic 16 includes potential divider circuits involving NTC thermistors and light-dependent resistors. This page frames that theory as a Paper 4 style calibration skill.