Question
What type of circuit is shown in Figure E7-2?
Answer Options
- A) Switching voltage regulator
- B) Common emitter amplifier
- C) Linear voltage regulator
- D) Common base amplifier
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
Figure E7-2 shows a circuit containing a series pass transistor (Q_1) and a Zener diode (D_1). The Zener diode provides a stable voltage reference, and the series pass transistor drops the difference between the input voltage (+25 \text{ V}) and the regulated output voltage (+12 \text{ V}). This is the fundamental architecture of a regulated power supply.
Because the regulation is achieved by varying the conduction (resistance) of the series pass transistor Q_1, which continuously dissipates the excess voltage as heat, the circuit is defined as a Linear voltage regulator. It is specifically a shunt-series regulator, where the Zener acts as a shunt reference, and Q_1 acts as the series control element.
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