What type of device uses the heating of two dissimilar metals to produce an electrical potential?

The device that uses the heating of two dissimilar metals to produce an electrical potential is known as a thermocouple. A thermocouple operates on the principle of the Seebeck effect, where a voltage is generated when there is a temperature difference between two different types of conductors. When each metal is joined at one end and subjected to a temperature gradient, the electrons in the metals react differently due to their varying properties, thus generating a voltage that can be measured. This characteristic makes thermocouples particularly useful in temperature measurement applications, where they convert thermal energy into electrical energy.

The other choices represent quite different functions in electrical and electronic systems. Resistors are used to control current flow by providing resistance, transformers transfer energy between circuits through electromagnetic induction, and capacitors store electrical charge temporarily, none of which relate to the generation of voltage through temperature differences in metals.