What Is an Ammeter?

Electric currents are measured in amperes and an ammeter is designed to measure how many amperes a circuit is using.

An Ammeter

An ammeter is a piece of equipment that measures the flow of current in a particular circuit.

Benefits of Ammeter

An ammeter is very useful in checking the integrity of wiring in a home, particularly making sure that wiring is up to code for overall safety.

Uses of an Ammeter

Ammeters are used to test electronic products before they leave a factory, to check for malfunctions and faulty wiring in older homes as well as to check the overall functionality in electronic circuitry.

How Ammeters Work

The first ammeter used magnetic deflection to measure the flow of an electric circuit. A magnetic ammeter has a metal coil that moves into a magnetic field when electric current passes through it. The amount of movement of the coil determines the voltage that the electric circuit uses.

High Voltage Ammeters

To determine higher voltages, an ammeter will typically use devices called shunts or resistors. Electricity will flow through the resistor and into the ammeter where its user will get an accurate reading of the currency being used by a particular electric circuit.

Using an Ammeter

Ammeters are useful devices for determining whether an electric circuit is working properly. An ammeter is a tool used to analyze the electric currency of an electric circuit and should be used by a professional electrician or person experienced in electrical devices.