In a loaded voltage output test, the voltage is expected to be what relative to the open circuit voltage?

• A. About 500 mV above
• B. About 500 mV below
• C. About equal to open circuit
• D. About 1 V above

Answer: (A)

When you apply a load to a voltage source, you’re testing how the source behaves under real operating conditions and how its regulation and internal resistances affect the voltage you actually see at the test point. In many automotive-style regulated outputs, the control system is designed to hold the output close to the open-circuit value, but in the act of switching in a load and through the regulator’s response and sensing points, you can see a small overshoot at the test point. That means the loaded voltage can end up a bit higher than the open-circuit value, often on the order of a few hundred millivolts. So, about 500 mV above the open-circuit voltage is a plausible expectation for this test setup, within typical regulator behavior and measurement tolerances. The idea is that the load interaction and regulation can produce a small positive deviation rather than a large drop or an exact match.