Potentiometer vs. Transistor — What's the Difference?

A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat.

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power. Transistors are one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics.

A three-terminal resistor with a manually adjustable center connection that adjusts the resistance between the end terminals and the center, whose uses include controlling the volume of an amplifier. Also called pot3.

A semiconductor device with three connections, capable of amplification in addition to rectification.

An instrument for measuring an unknown voltage by comparison to a standard voltage.

A small electronic device containing a semiconductor and having at least three electrical contacts, used in a circuit as an amplifier, detector, or switch.

(electronics) A user-adjustable three-terminal variable resistor that can be used as a voltage divider.

Any of various devices serving the same purpose but employing a different technology

(physics) An instrument that measures a voltage by opposing it with a precise fraction of a known voltage, and without drawing current from the unknown source.

A transistor radio.

An instrument for measuring or comparing electrial potentials or electro-motive forces.

(semiconductors) A solid-state semiconductor device, with three terminals, which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation, and many other functions.

A measuring instrument for measuring direct current electromotive forces

A transistor radio.

A resistor with three terminals, the third being an adjustable center terminal; used to adjust voltages in radios and TV sets

A component used in electronic devices consisting of three regions of at least two types of a semiconducting material, such as doped silicon, connected to each other and to three electrodes in a conducting path so as to modify the current or voltage in an electronic circuit.

A semiconductor device capable of amplification