What is the likely fault if a voltage divider circuit does not provide the specified voltages?

In a voltage divider circuit, the output voltage is determined by the ratio of the two resistors used in the divider configuration. If a specific resistor in the circuit, such as R5 in this case, is open or disconnected, it breaks the circuit path and interrupts the expected voltage drop across the resistors. This results in the output not being able to reach the designed voltage levels.

When R5 is open, it means that the voltage divider can no longer function as intended because one part of the voltage divider is effectively removed. Therefore, you would not measure the expected output voltage across the remaining resistor. This failure directly impacts the circuit's ability to provide the specified voltages, leading to incorrect or zero output.

In contrast, while issues like a power supply malfunction, a short circuit, or incorrect connections to ground can also cause voltage discrepancies, they affect the circuit in different ways. A power supply malfunction would typically result in no voltage or an incorrect voltage supply to the entire circuit, while a short circuit at any pin would generally create an unforeseen path for current that also disrupts voltage levels. Incorrect connections could lead to floating voltages or unintended paths, but they would not necessarily indicate that a specific component like R5 is faulty or that