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Electrical & Electronics Engineering vocabulary · Circuits and Components

Tolerance

Meaning in electrical & electronics engineering, with examples

/ˈtɑlərəns/nounCommon term

In electrical & electronics engineering, tolerance means: The allowed difference between a component's real value and its nominal value, usually given as a percentage. A 1 kΩ resistor with 5% tolerance can measure anywhere from 950 Ω to 1050 Ω.

In Turkish: tolerans

How it is used

Used for resistors, capacitors, supplies and measurements. Engineers choose parts with tight or loose tolerance, check that values are within tolerance and run tolerance analysis on critical circuits. On through-hole resistors, a gold band means 5% and a brown band means 1%.

Example sentences

  1. Use 1% tolerance resistors in the voltage divider, or the reading will be off.

  2. All the measured values are within tolerance.

Common collocations

  • tight tolerance
  • within tolerance
  • 1% tolerance
  • tolerance analysis
  • resistorA component that limits current or divides voltage by providing a fixed amount of resistance. Its value is given in ohms and its power rating in watts.
  • capacitorA component that stores electrical energy in an electric field between two plates. It is used to smooth supply voltages, filter noise, block DC and set timing.
  • datasheetA document from the manufacturer that gives a component's specifications: ratings, electrical characteristics, pin descriptions, package drawings and typical application circuits.
  • calibrationThe process of comparing an instrument or sensor with a known reference and adjusting it or recording the results, so that its readings can be trusted.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Circuits and Components

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