A voltmeter is used to measure which electrical quantity?

A voltmeter is used to measure which electrical quantity?

• A. Current
• B. Capacitance
• C. Voltage
• D. Resistance

Answer: (C)

A voltmeter measures electrical potential difference, i.e., voltage, between two points in a circuit. It reads the driving force that pushes charge from one point to another. To measure this without disturbing the circuit, the voltmeter is connected in parallel with the element or portion whose voltage you want to know, so both ends share the same two nodes. Voltmeters are designed with very high internal resistance, so they draw only a tiny amount of current and hardly affect the circuit’s operation. This is different from instruments that measure current, which must be placed in series and have low resistance, or devices that measure resistance or capacitance, which use different test configurations. Voltage is measured in volts.

A voltmeter measures electrical potential difference, i.e., voltage, between two points in a circuit. It reads the driving force that pushes charge from one point to another. To measure this without disturbing the circuit, the voltmeter is connected in parallel with the element or portion whose voltage you want to know, so both ends share the same two nodes. Voltmeters are designed with very high internal resistance, so they draw only a tiny amount of current and hardly affect the circuit’s operation. This is different from instruments that measure current, which must be placed in series and have low resistance, or devices that measure resistance or capacitance, which use different test configurations. Voltage is measured in volts.