# Sensitivity of Potentiometer - Current Electricity || Class 12, JEE & NEET

Sensitivity of Potentiometer means the smallest potential difference it can measure. It can be increased by reducing the potential gradient.
A potentiometer is sensitive if it is capable of measuring the small potential differences and it shows significant change in balancing length for a small change in the potential difference being measured.
Sensitivity of Potentiometer means the smallest potential difference that can be measured by using it and this can be achieved by decreasing the potential gradient by increasing the length of the wire or reducing the current in the potentiometer using rheostat.
1. Smaller the potential difference that can be measured with a potentihttps://www.esaral.com/potentiometer-working-principle-class-12/ometer more is the sensitivity of the potentiometer.
2. The sensitivity of potentiometer is inversely proportional to potential gradient $(S \propto 1 / x)$
3. The sensitivity can be increased by (a) Increasing length of potentiometer wire (b) For a potentiometer wire of fixed length potential gradient is decreased by reducing the current in circuit.

## How Sensitivity of a potentiometer can be increased?

It can be increased by decreasing its potential gradient. This can be done by two ways:

• by increasing the length of potentiometer wire.
• if the potentiometer wire is of fixed length, the potentiometer gradient can be decreased by reducing the current in the potentiometer wire circuit with the help of rheostat and using a single cell.