#3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

Pre-Lab Report Lab section:

Name & Surname: Student #:

You must complete this page YOURSELF using a pen before coming to the lab session and hand it in YOURSELF in
the first 5 min. of the session. You MUST justify your answers, NO COPYCAT answers, or NO credits!
Please read the relevant presentation on PHYS LAB Website and answer the following questions:

Q1. You are given 3 circuit elements: A galvanometer (G) whose internal resistance is RG, and
two resistors RL and RS. Their resistance values are related by the following inequality:
RL >> RG >> RS. Using all or some of these circuit elements draw the internal structure of a
Voltmeter and an Ammeter respectively.

Inside of a Voltmeter

Inside of an Ammeter
Q2. A certain DC voltmeter has an internal resistance of 1000 Ohms per volt. What current in
milliamperes is required for full scale deflection?
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PHYL 201
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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

1 Lab Report Lab section:

Name & Surname: Student #:

You must complete this report YOURSELF except DATA taking parts! Use a pencil for plots only and a pen
for the rest! You MUST show your work clearly, NO COPYCAT analysis allowed, or NO credits!

OBJECTIVE : To convert a galvanometer into an ammeter and a voltmeter of a given range.

THEORY : Ammeters are instruments for measuring the current passing through them. Ideally
they should have zero internal resistance so that the voltage across them will be zero without
changing the circuit characteristics that they are connected. However, the real ammeters have
some resistance even though it is very small.
Voltmeters are instruments to measure the potential difference between the two points they
are connected in a specific circuit. Ideal voltmeters should have infinite internal resistance so
that they do not draw current from the circuit that they are connected. But the real voltmeters
have some finite internal resistance.
To build a voltmeter we could use a sensitive galvanometer with a very high internal resistance
to start with. Since we will be connecting the voltmeter in parallel to any circuit section with a
voltage difference up to a maximum value, we should connect a series resistance to the
galvanometer. If the full scale deflection is desired to be V, then equating the voltage across the
voltmeter to V would give us:
I G RG + I G Rseries = V

where IG and RG are the galvanometer current and internal resistance, respectively. We can
determine the series resistance from this expression.
We can also use the same galvanometer to construct an ammeter. This time we should connect
a parallel resistance to the galvanometer to shunt the excess current from the galvanometer. In
this case the voltage difference across the galvanometer and the shunt resistance will be the
same:

I G RG = (I − I G )R paralel

where I is the current at which the galvanometer shows full scale deflection. We can determine
the parallel resistance from this expression for our ammeter.
APPARATUS : Galvanometer, various wires and resistance boxes, switch, voltmeter, ammeter,
and a 2-V power supply.
Fall 2023

PHYL 201
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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

P A R T – 1 : D E T E R M I N A T I O N O F T H E C O N S T A NTS
2 OF A G A L V A N O M E T E R

The values below will be given by your Lab Instructor during DEMO
Resistance to set
for FSD R1 = ................................................

Applied Potential Vapp=. ................................................

Resistance to set
for HSD R2 = ................................................

C O N S T A N T S O F THE G A L V A N O M E T E R:

Description / Symbol Formula-Calculation / Value & Unit

Calculate Internal resistance of

the Galvanometer RG = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Calculate Max. Galvanometer

Current IG = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

PART – 2: CONSTRUCTION OF AN AMMETER

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Circuit for ammeter (theoretical):

Range for the Constructed

Ammeter (given) IR = . 1.0 A

Given Resistance per unit length

of the Copper Wire ρcw = 1.34 x 10-3 Ω/cm

Description / Symbol Formlula / Calculation Value & Unit

Shunt Resistance RS = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.............................. .............

Length of the
Copper Wire L = .............................. .............

................................................
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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

Draw the circuit in which the constructed ammeter is used:

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Description / Symbol Value / Calculation Result

Value read from

the Galvanometer Gx = ................................................

Value read from

the Constructed
Ammeter IEV = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................

Value read from a

Real Ammeter ITV = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................
% Error for I:
Fall 2023

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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

PART – 3: CONSTRUCTION OF A VOLTMETER

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Circuit of voltmeter (theoretical):

Description / Symbol Fomula / Calculation Value / Result

Range for the

Constructed Voltmeter VR = 2.3 V + Table # / 10

Series Resistance RSer = ................................ ...........

.

................................................

Draw the circuit in which the constructed voltmeter is used:

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 #3 Ammeters & Voltmeters

Description/Symbol Value / Calculation Result

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Value read from

the Galvanometer GY = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Value read from the

Constructed Voltmeter VEV = .............................. ............

Value read from

a Real Voltmeter VTV = .............................. ............

% Error for V:

Consult to the resources for this experiment from PHYS LAB Website:
Fall 2023

PHYL201 Intro Presentation #3 PHYL201 Lab Book

PHYL 201
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