DEE1012 MEASUREMENT
LEARNING OUTCOME
1. Measure current and voltage of a simple circuit
using multi range DC ammeter and voltmeter
2. Explain loading effect in DC voltmeter
3. Construct loading effect of DC voltmeter in circuit
4. Illustrate loading effect in voltage measurement
on different load
MEASURE CURRENT AND VOLTAGE OF A
SIMPLE CIRCUIT
True value of Current, I 30µA
Range Function
10µA x
25µA x
50µA √
100µA √
True value of voltage across
RL= 21V
Range Function
10V x
20V x
50V √
100V √
MEASURE CURRENT AND VOLTAGE OF A
SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Simple circuit
Current measurement Voltage measurement
LOADING EFFECT
• Ideally, a perfect meter would have no loading effect,
but all meters have some loading effect on the circuit
they are measuring.
• When voltmeter connected to circuit, it will lowers
the effective resistance of the circuit and change the
voltage reading
• Total resistance will decrease, so the voltage across
component will also decrease. This is called voltmeter
loading.
LOADING EFFECT
• The resulting error is called a loading error/effect. The
voltmeter loading can be reduced by using a high
sensitivity voltmeter
• For high resistance circuits-use high sensitivity
voltmeter to prevent loading effect
• Low resistance circuit, loading effect is less
LOADING EFFECT
LOADING EFFECT
EXAMPLE
A simple series circuit of R1 and R2 connected to a 100V
DC source. If the voltage across R2 is to be measured by
voltmeter having
a) A sensitivity of 1000 Ω/V
b) A sensitivity 20000 Ω/V, find which voltmeter will read
the accurate value of voltage across R2
Assume both the meter are used on the 50V range
CONTINUE
Solution:
True Voltage across the R2 resistance
10K X 100V = 50V
10K+10K
a) Voltmeter having sensitivity of 1000 Ω/V,
Rm = S x V
It has a resistance of 1000 Ω/V X 50V = 50KΩ on its 50V
range
CONTINUE
Req (Rm//R2)= 10K X 50K = 8.33KΩ
10K + 50K
Voltage across V2 = Req X V
R1 + Req
8.33K X 100V = 45.43V
10K+ 8.33K
CONTINUE
b) Voltmeter having sensitivity of 20000 Ω/V,
It has a resistance of 20000 Ω/V X 50V = 1MΩ on its 50V
range
Req = 10K X 1M = 9.9KΩ
10K + 1M
Voltage across V2 = Req XV
R1 + Req
9.9K X 100V = 49.74V
10K+ 9.9K
So second voltmeter reads more accurately. Thus the high
sensitivity voltmeter gives more accurate reading, though
the voltage range for both the meter is same.
