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Voltmeter

The document discusses different types of voltmeters, how they work, and their uses. It describes analog voltmeters that use moving coils and how they are calibrated. It also mentions digital voltmeters and how voltmeters are represented symbolically in circuit diagrams.

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vijay kumar honnali
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93 views2 pages

Voltmeter

The document discusses different types of voltmeters, how they work, and their uses. It describes analog voltmeters that use moving coils and how they are calibrated. It also mentions digital voltmeters and how voltmeters are represented symbolically in circuit diagrams.

Uploaded by

vijay kumar honnali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electric potential difference between two points in

an electric circuit. It is connected in parallel. It usually has a high resistance so that it takes negligible
current from the circuit.
Analog voltmeters move a pointer across a scale in proportion to the voltage measured and can be
built from a galvanometer and series resistor. Meters using amplifiers can measure tiny voltages of
microvolts or less. Digital voltmeters give a numerical display of voltage by use of an analog-to-
digital converter.
Voltmeters are made in a wide range of styles, some separately powered (e.g. by battery), and
others powered by the measured voltage source itself. Instruments permanently mounted in a panel
are used to monitor generators or other fixed apparatus. Portable instruments, usually equipped to
also measure current and resistance in the form of a multimeter are standard test instruments used
in electrical and electronics work. Any measurement that can be converted to a voltage can be
displayed on a meter that is suitably calibrated; for example, pressure, temperature, flow or level in a
chemical process plant.
General-purpose analog voltmeters may have an accuracy of a few percent of full scale and are
used with voltages from a fraction of a volt to several thousand volts. Digital meters can be made
with high accuracy, typically better than 1%. Specially calibrated test instruments have higher
accuracies, with laboratory instruments capable of measuring to accuracies of a few parts per
million. Part of the problem of making an accurate voltmeter is that of calibration to check its
accuracy. In laboratories, the Weston cell is used as a standard voltage for precision work. Precision
voltage references are available based on electronic circuits.

Schematic symbol[edit]

Voltmeter symbol
In circuit diagrams, a voltmeter is represented by the letter V in a circle, with two emerging lines
representing the two points of measurement.

Analog voltmeter[edit]
A moving coil galvanometer of the d'Arsonval type.

 The red wire carries the current to be measured.


 The restoring spring is shown in green.
 N and S are the north and south poles of the magnet.
A moving coil galvanometer can be used as a voltmeter by inserting a resistor in series with the
instrument. The galvanometer has a coil of fine wire suspended in a strong magnetic field. When an
electric current is applied, the interaction of the magnetic field of the coil and of the stationary
magnet creates a torque, tending to make the coil rotate. The torque is proportional to the current
through the coil. The coil rotates, compressing a spring that opposes the rotation. The deflection of
the coil is thus proportional to the current, which in turn is proportional to the applied voltage, which
is indicated by a pointer on a scale.
One of the design objectives of the instrument is to disturb the circuit as little as possible and so the
instrument should draw a minimum of current to operate. This is achieved by using a sensitive
galvanometer in series with a high resistance, and then the entire instrument is connected in parallel
with the circuit examined.
The sensitivity of such a meter can be expressed as "ohms per volt", the number of ohms resistance
in the meter circuit divided by the full scale measured value. For example, a meter with a sensitivity
of 1000 ohms per volt would draw 1 milliampere at full scale voltage; if the full scale was 200 volts,
the resistance at the instrument's terminals would be 200000 ohms and at full scale, the meter would
draw 1 milliampere from the circuit under test. For multi-range instruments, the input resistance
varies as the instrument is switched to different ranges.
Moving-coil instruments with a permanent-magnet field respond only to direct current. Measurement
of AC voltage requires a rectifier in the circuit so that the coil deflects in only one direction. Some
moving-coil instruments are also made with the zero position in the middle of the scale instead of at
one end; these are useful if the voltage reverses its polarity.
Voltmeters operating on the electrostatic principle use the mutual repulsion between two charged
plates to deflect a pointer attached to a spring. Meters of this type draw negligible current but are
sensitive to voltages over about 100 volts and work with either alternating or direct current.

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