Question

Thermistors are desirable because of their ______________

(a) linear output

(b) large temperature coefficient

(c) suitability for high temperature

(d) none of the mentioned

The question was posed to me during a job interview.

This is a very interesting question from Engine Management Systems topic in chapter Engine Electronics of IC Engine

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(b) large temperature coefficient

Thermistors are desirable because of their large temperature coefficient, which means they exhibit a significant change in resistance with small changes in temperature. This makes them highly sensitive and effective for temperature sensing applications. They are widely used in engine management systems to monitor temperature variations accurately. However, they are typically more suited for low to moderate temperature ranges, and their response is nonlinear rather than linear.