SPECIFIC MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTS

What Are Electrical Measurements?

Electrical measurements are the different ways to quantify the different qualities and behaviors

of electricity including voltage, resistance, current, frequency, and power.

What Are the Units of Measurement for Electricity?

There are several different standard measurement units for electricity that depend on what
exactly is being measured; some of the most common units are volts, amps, watts, ohms, and
hertz.

Volt: Measures the voltage; abbreviated as V or E for electromotive force.

Amp: Measures the magnitude of the electrical current, abbreviated as A or I.

Watt: Measures the electrical power; abbreviated as W.

Ohm: Measures the resistance to the flow of current as well as the impedance in AC;
abbreviated as Ω.

Hertz: Measures a current’s frequency; abbreviated as Hz.

What Are the Six Most Common Electrical Measurements?

Some of the most common electrical measurements are:

Voltage: Also known as electrical potential difference, electric pressure, or electric tension,

voltage is the pressure needed to push electrons through a conducting loop. In other words, it’s

the amount of force that drives electrical charge in a circuit. It’s governed by Ohm's law, which

states that current across two points is directly proportional to voltage or that voltage equals

current multiplied by resistance. The unit of measurement for voltage is volts (V).

Current: Current is the amount of electrical charge flowing through a system. It’s similarly

calculated through Ohm’s law, but in this case, current equals voltage divided by resistance. The

unit of measurement for current is Amps (A).

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Resistance: Electrical resistance is a quantification of how much opposition there is to the

current in whatever material(s) or system that a current flows through. It’s calculated by dividing

voltage by current. The unit of measurement for resistance is Ohms (Ω).

Power: Power is the rate at which electrical energy is being used. It’s calculated by multiplying

voltage by current. The unit of measurement for power is Watts (W).

Frequency: The number of times an alternating current (AC) cycles or changes direction per

second is called electrical frequency. The unit of measurement for frequency is Hertz (Hz),

where one Hz equals one cycle per second; so, if a current is operating at 60Hz, it’s cycling 60

times a second.

Capacitance: The ability of a material, a component, or a system to collect and store an

electrical charge is its capacitance. The unit of measurement for capacitance is the farad (C),
and it can be calculated by dividing charge by voltage.

It’s important to know the different formulas that build these different measurements (see below)

so it’s clear how these different qualities of electricity intersect with and relate to each other.

However, in most cases, experts and scientists utilize instruments specifically designed to take

electrical measurements to get the most accurate measurement possible.

Measurement Unit Symbol Equation

Voltage Volt V or E V=I×R

Current Ampere A or I I=V÷R

Resistance Ohm R or Ω R=V÷I

Power Watt W or P P=V×I

Frequency Hertz Hz ƒ = 1 ÷ T (time to

complete one cycle)

Capacitance Farad C C = Q (charge) ÷ V

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What Are Electrical Measuring Instruments?

Electrical measuring instruments are the array of tools that people use to gather data on all of

the different types of electrical behaviors and qualities. There are both analog and digital

instruments with the major difference being how these tools display their measurements. In an

analog device, the electricity running through the device physically moves a needle that’s

overlaid on a clock-like display of numbers to show what the voltage, amperage, etc., is. In a

digital device, though, the device itself converts that measurement directly to a number that is

shown on a digital display screen.

What Are the Most Common Electrical Measuring Instruments?

There is a plethora of different types of instruments that can measure electricity. Some are

designed to be multi-use and take several different types of electrical measurements, some are

built to take just one type of measurement, and some are meant to take very precise electrical

measurements. That said, these are some of the more common electrical measuring

instruments.

Voltmeter: A voltmeter, as its name suggests, measures the voltage in a circuit. It operates by

using two probes to measure the voltage between those two points.

Ammeter :Ammeters measure the current in a circuit and are generally connected directly to

the circuit so that they can measure the current in that part of a system.

Ohmmeter: To measure the resistance of a circuit, you would use an ohmmeter. It applies a

current to the circuit and then calculates its resistance by measuring the resulting voltage.

Unlike voltmeters or ammeters, you should not connect an ohmmeter to a live circuit that has

any electrical current running through it.

Multimeter

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The multimeter is the jack of all trades when it comes to electrical measurements. Some

multimeters are more versatile than others, so the exact measurements a multimeter can take

will depend on the model and what the manufacturer designed it to measure. However, most

multimeters can at least measure voltage, current, and resistance, typically through the use of a

probe. (Most people use multimeters primarily to take voltage measurements.) This versatility

makes them extremely useful for field work, cutting down the need for three separate

instruments.

Why Is Calibration Important for Electrical Measurements?

As is the case with any sort of measurement device, you need to regularly calibrate any

instrument that takes electrical measurements. Without proper calibration, devices won’t provide

accurate readings, which can lead to issues such as system overload and failure, unnecessary

downtime, and even unsafe working environments. That’s because, particularly at the industrial

level, many expensive and critical systems and pieces of technology are built to run on exact

electrical parameters. Even a slight error in measurement can cascade into negative and even

disastrous consequences.

For instance, voltage issues or fluctuations can shut down servers and corrupt data, while

current abnormalities can cause devices to overheat or suffer irreparable damage. In the

specific case of an electricity meter, if it’s not properly calibrated, its inaccurate measurement

could be costing a homeowner or business significant money in electricity utilities. Luckily, all of

these problems can be avoided before they happen with accurate testing carried out with

calibrated equipment.

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