8/31/14 HowStuffWorks "Galvanometer"

science.howstuffworks.com/galvanometer-info.htm 1/2
Galvanometer
Home / Science / Physical Science / Electricity
Tweet Tweet 0 0
Galvanometer, an instrument used to indicate the presence, direction, or strength of a small electric current. The typical galvanometer is a sensitive laboratory
instrument used mainly to detect and compare currents.
The galvanometer makes use of the fact that an electric current flowing through a wire sets up a magnetic field around the wire. In the galvanometer, the wire is
wound into a coil. When current flows through the coil, one end of the coil becomes a north magnetic pole, the other a south magnetic pole. When a permanent
magnet is placed near the coil, the two fieldsthe one from the coil and the one from the magnetinteract. The like poles
will repulse each other and the unlike poles will attract. The amount of attraction and repulsion increases as the strength of
the current increases.
In the moving-magnet galvanometer, the permanent magnet is a needle (much like a compass needle) mounted on a pivot
and surrounded by the coil. In the moving-coil galvanometerthe most common typethe coil is mounted on pivots or
suspended by thin metal strips. The coil lies between the poles of a permanent magnet in such a way that it rotates when
current flows through it. The direction of the rotation depends on the direction of the current through the coil, and the
amount of rotation depends on the strength of the current. A galvanometer is often used to indicate when the current in a
circuit has been reduced to zero, as in the operation of the Wheatstone bridge, a device for measuring electrical
resistances precisely.
A moving-coil mechanism similar to that used in a galvanometer is used in some ammeters. Like the galvanometer, these
instruments measure the strength of a current but they can handle a stronger current; unlike the galvanometer, they
cannot indicate the current's direction. A moving-coil mechanism is also used in some voltmeters (which measure the
voltage in a circuit) and ohmmeters (which measure the resistance in a circuit). In some instruments, a selector switch
connects the moving-coil mechanism to different internal circuits so that a single mechanism can be used in making all
three types of measurements.
The principle upon which the operation of the galvanometer is based was discovered in 1820 by Hans Christian Oersted when he observed that a magnetic needle
could be deflected by an electric current. The first galvanometer was made by Johann Schweigger in 1820. In 1882, Jacques Arsene D'Arsonval introduced the
moving-coil galvanometer. Edward Weston made important improvements to the device a few years later.
Ads by Google
What Happens When You Die
New scientific theory says time &
death don't exist
robertlanza.com
Free IT Training
Improve Your Computer Skills, Sign
Up Now For Free Online Courses
free-online-training-courses.com
magnetic design
magnetic design simulation software
transformer calculation tool
www.poweresim.com
Print Citation & Date Feedback
Tweet Tweet 0 0
Top Deals at Factory Price.
Contact Directly & Get Live
Quotes!
www.alibaba.com/Magnetic-
Generator
Magnetic Generator
Advanced Technology Rich
Experience Various
Materials&Shapes.Contact Us
www.yhmagnet.com
Magnetism
Do New Scientific Discoveries
Point to a Creator of the
Universe?
y-jesus.com
Science Discovered God?
Ads by Google
MORE TO EXPLORE
10 Incredible Wind
Power Facts
10 Remarkable
Exoplanets
Fact or Fiction:
Earthquakes
Top 10 Things
That Women
Invented
ALL THINGS SCIENCE
Strange, Spooky,
Scary: The
Supernatural Quiz
8/31/14 HowStuffWorks "Galvanometer"
science.howstuffworks.com/galvanometer-info.htm 2/2
Watch 100 Greatest Discoveries videos
What if I put aluminum foil in the microwave?
We've all been told not to put aluminum foil in the microwave. Stories of incredible explosions
and fires are usually at the center of these ominous warnings. Why is that?
How Marijuana Works
Marijuana isn't just a recreational drug for hippies and philosophy majors -- its psychoactive
history ranges from Egyptian mummies to modern U.S. politics. What's the big deal about this
leafy, green plant?
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Popular Articles
Siphon
Salicylic Acid
Hydrate
Related Ad Categories
Electrical Electricity
Field Strength Meter
Electricity Meter