Extra exam question E7G04
Subelement E7, PRACTICAL CIRCUITS· Group E7G
What is meant by the term “op-amp input offset voltage”?
- A.The output voltage of the op-amp minus its input voltage
- B.The difference between the output voltage of the op-amp and the input voltage required in the immediately following stage
- C.The differential input voltage needed to bring the open loop output voltage to zero (correct answer)
- D.The potential between the amplifier input terminals of the op-amp in an open loop condition
Why"Op-amp input offset voltage" refers to the differential input voltage needed to bring the open loop output voltage to zero. An op-amp's input offset voltage is the small differential voltage that has to be applied between its two inputs to bring the amplifier's open-loop output voltage down to exactly zero, compensating for the small internal imbalances every real (non-ideal) op-amp has, answer C. It isn't simply output voltage minus input voltage, isn't a comparison to what a following stage requires, and isn't just the natural potential between the input terminals with no correction applied, it's specifically the correction needed to zero the output.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2024-2028 NCVEC Element 4 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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