Would connecting a voltmeter across the terminals of a power supply, with nothing else connected to the circuit, yield a very large current?
2006-10-09 13:15:04 · 6 answers · asked by topgun553 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Only if (1) the voltmeter is designed to measure microvolts and you're connecting it to megavolts, or (2) your 'voltmeter' is really a multimeter set to measure current.
2006-10-09 13:24:50 · answer #1 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as your power supply does not have a voltage that is above the range on your voltmeter dial then it should be OK. The voltmeter is designed to have a very high resistance and therefore a very low current across itself, as long as you are within the design range of the voltmeter. If you try to hook it up to a 10,000 volt source and your voltmeter is only capable of reading up to 2,000 volts then you may have a problem.
2006-10-09 20:25:06 · answer #2 · answered by Sciencenut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A voltmeter does not measure current. An ammeter measures current. Current cannot be measured "across terminals," it must be measured through the terminals.
Are you asking from taking accurate measurements, or from a safety aspect?
2006-10-09 20:17:28 · answer #3 · answered by aedesign 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Voltmeters typically have a very high impedance and draw a very small amount of current to when measuring voltage.
2006-10-09 22:15:59 · answer #4 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a voltmeter has a very high impedance, would draw negligible current.
2006-10-09 20:19:08 · answer #5 · answered by luv2fish 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
are you saying it doesn't have power to it? and you are still getting a rating.
2006-10-09 20:17:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋