Meters and troubleshootingQuestion 753 of 1506

What is the purpose of swamping resistors in a parallel thermocouple averaging circuit?

To reverse the polarity
To make the branch resistances nearly equal
To raise the signal to 120 V
To cool the junctions

Show answer

Correct answer: To make the branch resistances nearly equal

Large equal resistors make small differences in wire length matter much less.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 9.5: Thermocouples

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026

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