🔍 Key Concepts

• Regulated power supply and its basic building blocks (reference element, error amplifier, pass element) • How a reference voltage is maintained constant even when input or load changes • Typical use of a Zener region in diodes for voltage reference

💭 Think About

• Which of these components is specifically designed to hold a nearly constant voltage across it over a range of currents? • In a linear regulator, which device usually does the heavy current-handling to the load, and which one actually sets the stable reference level? • Among the choices, which component is most commonly associated with the term "voltage reference" in basic electronics texts?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option’s primary purpose is voltage stabilization, not switching or power handling • Recall that the pass element in a regulator is usually controlled by, but not the same as, the reference element • Think about which device operates in a special breakdown region to maintain a nearly constant voltage