What is Ammeter?

What is Ammeter?

The term “ammeter” refers to an instrument or device used to measure current. The current is measured in amperes. As a result, this instrument is known as an ammeter or ampere metre and measures current flow in amperes. Although this device’s internal resistance is “0,” it still has some internal resistance. Depending on the amount of resistance, the ammeter’s measuring range will change.

Representation Of Ammeter

It is the symbolic representation of the Ammeter in a circuit.

What is the SI unit used in Ammeter?

The flow of electric charge across a surface at a rate of one coulomb per second is measured by the SI unit known as the ampere (A).

Working Principle of Ammeter

The working of an ammeter is primarily depending on resistance and inductive reactance. Because there must be less voltage loss across it, the instrument has a very low impedance. Due to the identical current flow within a series circuit, it is connected in series.

With the use of a number of coils, this device’s primary purpose is to measure the current flow. The resistance and inductive reactance of these coils are extremely low.

Construction of Ammeter

Ammeters can be built in two different ways:

1. Series and
2. shunt.

The total measuring current will flow through the instrument after it is connected in series to the circuit. As a result of their internal resistance & the measurand current, ammeters experience power loss.

Because of the two factors, the ammeter’s resistance is kept low:

1. The ammeter receives the entire measured current.
2. The ammeter is directly impacted by the low voltage drop

Parts of an Ammeter

An ammeter is constructed with several key components:

1. U-shaped Magnet: The primary component, featuring concave poles that create a magnetic field.
2. Copper Coil: A rectangular coil wound around a metallic core, essential for detecting current.
3. Iron Core: A soft iron cylindrical core around which the copper coil is wound. This core enhances the magnetic field between the poles and keeps the field lines parallel.
4. Shunt: A low-resistance element connected in parallel with the galvanometer to allow the measurement of higher currents.
5. Pointer: A pointer, pivoted and attached to the coil, moves to indicate the current reading on the scale.

Ammeter Formula

Ammeters are connected in series within a circuit to measure current. The current reading on an ammeter can be determined using Ohm’s Law, which is given by the formula:

I=V/R​

Where:

• I is the current measured by the ammeter,
• V is the voltage across the circuit,
• R is the total resistance in the circuit.

Ammeter Specifications

An ammeter is connected in series with a circuit to measure current. It’s primarily used for measuring small currents, typically in the milliampere or microampere range. A milliammeter measures current in milliamperes, while a microammeter is used for measuring extremely small currents in microamperes. In circuit diagrams, an ammeter is denoted by the letter “A”.

Ammeter design ensures low resistance, with an ideal ammeter offering zero internal resistance. Typically, an ammeter has minimal internal resistance to allow maximum current flow through the device and minimize voltage drop across it.

To protect the device from excessive current, an ammeter includes an inbuilt fuse. If a high current passes through, the fuse will blow, rendering the ammeter unable to measure current until the fuse is replaced.

Working of Ammeter

Ammeter Connection In Series

Since the current in a series circuit remains the same through all the circuit elements, when the ammeter is connected in series with the load, the same current flows through the ammeter as flows through the load. As a result, the amount of load current determines how much the ammeter coil deflects. The ammeter measures the load current in an electric circuit in this manner.

Ammeter Connection In Shunt

when an ammeter and a shunt (parallel) resistance with a very low value are connected in parallel and the current in the circuit can be measured. The voltage drop across the metre and shunt is the same because they are connected in parallel.

Classification Of Ammeter

Based on Construction:  7 types

• Moving Coil Ammeter,
• Moving Magnet Ammeter,
• Moving Iron Ammeter,
• Electrodynamic Ammeter,
• Hot Wire Ammeter,
• Digital Ammeter and
• Integrated Ammeter.

Based on Flow of Current: 2 types

• AC Ammeter and
• DC Ammeter.

Moving Coil Ammeter:

Magnetic deflection is a technique used by moving coil ammeters, in which current flowing through a coil positioned in the magnetic field of a permanent magnet causes the coil to move. The restoring force is provided by two spiral springs. The deflection of the metre is linearly proportional to current thanks to the consistent air gap between their own core and the permanent magnet poles. The scales on these metres are linear. Basic meters movement are capable of deflecting at full scale for currents ranging from around 25 microamperes to 10 milliamperes.

Application: Used in meteorology, an electrometer, and radio astronomy

Moving Magnet Ammeter:

Moving magnet ammeters work on a similar concept as moving coil ammeters, with the exception that the coil is mounted inside the metre case and the needle is moved by a permanent magnet. As a result of the coil’s ability to be manufactured of thicker wire and the condition that the current is not required to be carried by the hairsprings, moving magnet ammeters can typically carry bigger currents than moving coil instruments, frequently several tens of amperes. In addition, some ammeters of don’t have hairsprings; instead, the restoring force is provided by a fixed permanent magnet.

Moving Iron Ammeter:

A piece of iron is used in moving iron ammeters, which moves in response to the electromagnetic force of a stationary wire coil. Direct and alternating currents are both measurable by this kind of meter (as opposed to the moving-coil ammeter, which works on direct current only). The iron element consists of a stationary vane enclosed in a coil and a moving vane coupled to a pointer. The moving vane deflects in opposition to the restoring force generated by the fine helical springs as alternating or direct current passes through the coil and creates a magnetic field in both vanes. A moving iron meter’s deflection is proportional to the square of the current.

Therefore, such meter would typically have a nonlinear scale, but the iron portions are typically reshaped to make the scale fairly linear for the most of its range. Moving iron instruments show the RMS value of any applied AC waveform. Moving iron ammeters are frequently used to measure current in AC circuits with industrial frequency.

Electrodynamic Ammeter:

An electromagnet is used in place of a permanent magnet in an electrodynamic ammeter. Both alternating and direct current can be detected by this device, which can also display accurate RMS for AC. Wattmeter is another application for this instrument.

Hot Wire Ammeter:

A hot-wire ammeter measures the amount of current flowing through a wire that heats up and expands. Despite their slow response times and poor accuracy, these devices were occasionally employed to gauge radio-frequency current. These measure actual RMS for an applied AC as well.

Digital Ammeter:

The core mechanism for an ammeter is a digital voltmeter mechanism, and other types of metres are developed around this, in a manner similar to how the analogue ammeter served as the foundation for a broad range of derived metres, including voltmeters.

A shunt resistor is used in digital ammeter systems to create a calibrated voltage proportionate to the current flowing. The analogue to digital converter (ADC) in a digital voltmeter is then used to measure this voltage; the digital display is calibrated to show the current flowing through the shunt. These instruments are frequently calibrated to only display the RMS value of a sine wave; however, many designs may display the correct RMS within the constraints of the wave crest factor.

Integrated Ammeter:

Additionally, integrating ammeters refer to a variety of instruments. In these ammeters, the current is added up over time, producing a result that is proportional to the amount of electrical charge that is carried by that current and is known as the current-time product. These can be used for energy metering (the charge must be multiplied by the voltage to give energy) or for determining the charge of a battery or capacitor.

AC Ammeter:

 The AC ammeter is the device used to measure the Alternating Current (AC) that flows through any branch of an electric circuit. It consists of a movable iron movement with two jewel bearings between which the assembly moves.

Ex: Thermocouple type AC ammeter.

DC Ammeter:

A device called a DC ammeter is used to measure the amount of DC current flowing through a circuit. The scale on the DC ammeter represents current in amperes. A basic movement can only carry exceedingly small currents because the coil winding is light and small. In DC circuits with a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz, this ammeter is used to measure the current.

Picoammeter

A picoammeter measures very low electric currents, typically from the picoampere (pA) to milliampere (mA) range. It’s used when currents are too small for standard devices like multimeters. Picoammeters often employ a “virtual short” technique with multiple measurement ranges, or a “current sink” method that avoids range switching and voltage spikes. To ensure accuracy, they use special insulators and triaxial cables to reduce leakage currents that could affect measurements.

Uses of an Ammeter

1. An ammeter is used to measure the current flowing through a circuit, whether it is alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).
2. It helps in determining the magnitude of current in the circuit, providing essential data for circuit analysis and troubleshooting.

Considerations When Choosing an Ammeter

When selecting an ammeter, consider the following factors:

1. Ensure the ammeter can measure the range of currents required for your application.
2. Choose an ammeter with appropriate sensitivity for detecting the smallest currents in your measurements.
3. TDetermine whether you need an ammeter for DC, AC, or both types of current.

Difference Between Ammeter and Voltmeter

An ammeter is used to measure small amounts of current, typically displayed in milliamperes. It is connected in series with the circuit to ensure the entire current flows through it.

A voltmeter, on the other hand, is connected in parallel with the circuit to measure the potential difference between two points. Both devices have the same connection polarity: the negative terminal is connected to the negative side of the supply, and the positive terminal is connected to the positive side.

Difference Between Ammeter and Galvanometer

A galvanometer is a device that detects and measures small currents by deflecting a moving coil placed between permanent magnets. The coil’s deflection corresponds to the current flowing through it. By adding a parallel resistance (shunt) to the circuit, a galvanometer can be converted into an ammeter to measure larger currents. Similarly, by connecting a resistance in series, it can function as a voltmeter.

An ammeter, on the other hand, is specifically designed to measure the magnitude of current in a circuit and is often referred to as an ampere meter, as ampere is the unit of current.

Differences Between Ammeters and Multimeters

Effect of Temperature on Ammeter

An ammeter is sensitive to temperature changes, influenced by both internal and external environmental conditions. Temperature variations can affect its readings. To minimize this impact, a resistance with a zero temperature coefficient, known as swamping resistance, is connected in series with the ammeter. This swamping resistance helps to reduce the temperature’s effect on the ammeter’s accuracy.

What is the ammeter’s operating range?

The largest amount of current that an ammeter can read is referred to as its range. An ammeter typically has 30 divisions on its scales and a range of 0 to 3 amperes.

Where in daily life is the ammeter used?

Both DC and AC current can be measured with an ammeter. Anywhere in daily life, including autos, refrigerators, heaters, and delicate machinery, it can be used to monitor current.

How Should You Read an Ammeter?

The two terminals of an ammeter are marked with positive and negative indications on the back. Connect the devices appropriately. The ammeter will show the current drawn by the instrument when it is turned on.

Ammeter reading is the measurement of the magnetic needle’s deflection as a result of the strength of the magnetic field generated by the amount of current flowing in the ammeter coil. Thus, when connected in series in the circuit and calibrated, they can measure the amount of current flowing.

What is an ammeter used for?

An ammeter is used to measure electric current in amperes, either in direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC). Because only a tiny fraction of the current is sent via the meter mechanism when the current is high, a shunt connected in parallel with the meter carries the majority of the current, an ammeter may measure a wide range of current values.

Applications for Ammeters

• This equipment is conveniently offered in laboratories and industries with various ranges.
• For the house’s electrical equipment, it is useful to measure the current flow.
• It is also commonly used by businesses with a manufacturing and instrumentation basis.
• The thermocouple and ammeter work well together to measure temperature.
• This tool is used by electricians to inspect the circuit problems in homes and offices.

How are ammeters classified based on the type of current they measure?

Ammeters are classified into:

• AC ammeters
• DC ammeters

Is the ammeter a thermally sensitive device?

Yes, an ammeter is a thermally sensitive device.

What is the device called that is used to measure current in milliamperes?

A device used to measure current in milliamperes is known as a milliammeter.

What is ampere meter ?

An “ampere meter,” more commonly known as an ammeter, is an instrument used to measure the electric current flowing through a circuit. The unit of measurement for electric current is the ampere (A), and hence the device is called an ammeter. It is typically connected in series with the circuit so that the current flows through the ammeter, allowing it to measure and display the current value. Ammeters can measure different ranges of current, and depending on the specific design, they can measure currents in amperes, milliamperes, or even microamperes.

What is the internal resistance of an ideal ammeter?

An ideal ammeter has zero internal resistance.