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Question 16.AP.2: STUD FINDERS If you have ever tried to hang a picture on a w...

STUD FINDERS 

If you have ever tried to hang a picture on a wall securely, you know that it can be difficult to locate a wooden stud in which to anchor your nail or screw. The principles discussed in this section can be used to detect a stud electronically. The pri mary element of an electronic stud finder is a capacitor with its plates arranged side by side instead of facing one another, as in Figure 16.28. How does this device work?

16.28
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As the detector is moved along a wall, its capacitance changes when it passes across a stud because the dielectric constant of the material “between” the plates changes. The change in capacitance can be used to cause a light to come on, signaling the presence of the stud.

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