Does a diode require a protective resistor is it has a varaible resistor in front of it. The question is to create a circuit diagram to obtain the IV curve for a semi-conductor diode. I put a cell, an ammeter, a diode in forward bias (with a voltmeter in parallel) then AFTER the diode I put a Rheostat to adjust the resistance. Apparently it requires a protective resistor in between the diode and the variable resistor? is this correct? also what would happen if I put the rheostat behind the diode in the circuit? sorry i cant create visuals thanks in advance!
Because you don't want to fry it. Diodes have a very low resistance in forward bias so you need to have a protective resistor as well to ensure that the current remains low enough so that it doesn't get too hot