An engineer is designing a circuit using an operational amplifier and decides to implement negative feedback. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of negative feedback in op-amps?

Negative feedback in an op‑amp means that a portion of the output is fed back to the inverting input, so the amplifier reduces its gain until the output matches the input. In practice, this is done by connecting a resistor from the output to the inverting input and another resistor from that input to ground, making the op‑amp act as a voltage follower or a set‑gain amplifier. For example, if the op‑amp’s output rises, the feedback resistor pulls the inverting input higher, which pulls the output back down, stabilizing the circuit. The correct scenario is one where the output voltage is routed back to the negative input, not the positive input, thereby keeping the amplifier’s output close to the desired value. This arrangement keeps the amplifier’s behavior predictable and limits distortion.