Why Ammeter is connected in series?

Thread Starter

uzair

Joined Dec 26, 2007
110
The ammeter is not connected in parallel because it will draw large current and disturb the circuit, right?
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
It is in series because current flows in parallel branches of a circuit. The ammeter has to be a series element in order for all the current to go through it.
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
The ammeter is not connected in parallel because it will draw large current and disturb the circuit, right?
Yes, that is correct.

An ammeter by its nature has a very low input resistance. That is why if it is connected in parallel with a circuit element such as a resistor or a capacitor, it is the same as placing a very low resistor in parallel with the component or components across which is paralleled.

hgmjr
 

rwmoekoe

Joined Mar 1, 2007
172
i thought this might get it clearer too.
when we want to measure the current flow in a wire, the current should pass our ammeter, that is in series, to let it do the task. if we put it in parallel with the circuit we wanna measure, then it won't be doing the job of measuring the current flow in th circuit, instead it is generating a new current loop parallel to the first circuit.
 

bloguetronica

Joined Apr 27, 2007
1,541
The ammeter is not connected in parallel because it will draw large current and disturb the circuit, right?
In practice, you will cause a short circuit and you may damage the ammeter. So use your ammeter always in series with the load for which you want to measure the current. The ammeter has such a small resistance that will not cause any significant voltage drop. So the load won't be disturbed.
 
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