Republic of Yemen
Arab Academics University Sensors and Instrumentation
Mechatronics Engineering department
LAB 2:
Measuring Electrical Voltage using
Galvanometer
Eng. Najwa Al-Rumaithah
2023
Analog galvanometers
Analog galvanometers are still used to display a wide variety of
measurements.
Galvanometers have the advantage over digital displays that
it is easy to determine trends.
The following types of instrument used most often:
• Moving coil galvanometers
• Moving iron galvanometers
• Electrodynamic galvanometers
Moving coil galvanometers
Moving coil galvanometers
How does it work?
▪ A moving coil galvanometer displays current by converting
the magnitude of the current into a corresponding
deflection on a dial.
▪ A rotating coil (9) is placed inside the field of a magnet (5 =
south pole, 6 = north pole). Two watchmakers' springs (3,
4) not only conduct the input current but also provide the
restoring force to return the coil to its rest position.
▪ If current is passed through the coil via the input sockets (1,
2), a force acts on the coil (the Lorentz force) so that it
turns on its axis until the force of the springs prevents it
from turning any further.
▪ At that point the coil stops still and the current is displayed
on a dial by means of a needle attached to the coil.
▪ If the current is disconnected, the springs return the needle
to the zero position.
Moving coil galvanometers
Measuring voltage
Although the deflection of a moving coil galvanometer is proportional to the
current, voltage can also be measured since the internal resistance of the
coil is constant.
Ohm's law
Symbol
This symbol is depicted on the dial of the galvanometer to indicate that this
is a moving coil instrument.
Moving coil galvanometers
Properties
1. A moving coil galvanometer has a linear scale.
2. The galvanometer displays the arithmetic mean current.
3. Moving coil galvanometers are dependent on polarity, i.e. if the polarity is
reversed, the needle deflects in the opposite direction.
(On some galvanometers the zero for the scale is directly in the middle so that current of
opposite polarity can also be displayed. If the zero is at one end of the scale, the
galvanometer may only be used for measuring current of a single polarity).
4. Moving coil galvanometers are only suitable for measuring direct
current(DC).
Applications:
laboratory experiments, instrument calibration, and electrical testing.
Moving coil galvanometers and AC values
With variables that alternate at very low frequency the galvanometer
needle is seen to move to the instantaneous value of the current.
At frequencies that are sufficiently high, for instance, the mains
frequency of 50-60 Hz is already so high that due to the mechanical
inertia of the needle it can no longer follow the current precisely, the
needle then remains at a value that corresponds to an average value over
time.
For AC measurements, this average is zero.
Moving iron galvanometers
Moving iron galvanometers
How does t work?
A moving iron galvanometer is for displaying current
by converting the current to cause a corresponding
deflection of a pointer needle.
A fixed iron core (5) and a moving iron core with a
needle attached to it (6 = the moving iron) are placed
inside a coil (4).
When a current flows through the coil across the
terminals (1,2), both cores become magnetized with
the same polarity and thus repel one another.
This causes the moving coil to rotate until the needle
reaches its limit. This puts tension on a spring (3) and
this tension eventually equals the force of magnetic
repulsion. When the current is switched off, the
spring returns the needle to its initial position.
Moving iron galvanometers
Measuring voltage
Voltages can be measured using moving iron galvanometers too, since the
galvanometer has a constant internal resistance.
Ohm's law.
Symbol
This symbol is depicted on the scale of the galvanometer and indicates that it is
a moving iron instrument.
Moving iron galvanometers
Features
1. The deflection of the moving iron galvanometer is directly proportional to
the square of the current.
2. The scale is non-linear but divided in quadratic divisions.
3. Since the two iron cores are always similarly magnetized irrespective of the
polarity so that they always repel, the instrument is suitable for both DC
and AC measurements.
4. Moving iron galvanometers display the actual rms values for DC, AC or
mixtures of the two.
Applications:
industrial applications, power systems, and electrical installations where
higher current measurements are required.
Experiments
➢ Experiment1-moving coil galvanometer
➢ Experiment2-moving iron galvanometer
Experiment card (Card SO4203-5J)
Moving coil galvanometer
Input socket to the galvanometer
Range extension for voltage Range extension for current
measurement measurement
Two independently connectable
Two independently connectable
inductors of 2X100 mH
incandescent lamp 12V/2W
Two independently connectable Two independently connectable
resistors of 100 and 470 ohm capacitors of 2.2 and 4.7 uF
Weekly report:
➢ Integrated report contains :
1. Introduction.
2. objective.
3. Experiment tools.
4. Calculations.
5. Results.
6. Conclusion.
Note:
Submit the report next week.
Next lab
Measuring Electrical Work and Frequency
Any Questions?