Comment on What caused the change in electronic terminology?
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Rheostats are a type of variable resistor, commonly seen in the form of potentiometers.
“Condenser” came from the analogy of steam power’s condenser, which was a recent/new thing for steam engines around the same time people were starting with electricity. Language changed, though, because the analogy was imperfect.
Demonmariner@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Rheostats are two wire devices, think of them as current controlling. Potentiometers are three wire devices, typically used as voltage dividers. They are not the same.