Internet of Things (IoT) Practice Exam

What kind of element measures a physical quantity like temperature in IoT?

1. Resistor

2. Transducer

3. Microcontroller

4. Capacitor

The correct answer is: Transducer

A transducer is a device that converts one form of energy into another, which is fundamental in the context of measuring physical quantities like temperature in IoT applications. When measuring temperature, a transducer might convert the thermal energy related to the temperature into an electrical signal, which can then be read and interpreted by a microcontroller or sent to the cloud for processing and analysis. This ability to transform physical phenomena into measurable electrical signals allows transducers to play a crucial role in sensor technology for IoT devices. In IoT, different types of sensors serve as transducers for various physical quantities, including temperature, pressure, humidity, and light. For instance, a thermocouple or a thermistor serves as a temperature transducer by producing a voltage that corresponds to a specific temperature. Other components like resistors and capacitors do not function as standalone devices for measuring physical quantities. They may play supporting roles in electric circuits, but they do not have direct functionalities related to sensing physical conditions. A microcontroller is a processing unit that can read signals from transducers but does not measure physical quantities directly. Therefore, the selection of a transducer as the correct answer accurately aligns with its role in the IoT ecosystem for sensing applications.