Quote:
Originally posted by nwagers
Correct me if I'm wrong. It's been a while since I've had electronics. I do believe that if you hook an amp meter in series, you will here a loud and distinct pop of a fuse (a breaker if it's a good one). I think you measure amperage in parallel and voltage in series. Don't forget the difference between the two, it's an important one....
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Having just had General Electronnics I at the community college, I can say you've got your measurements reversed. Current is measured by breaking the circiut and placing a meter accross the break (series). Voltage can be measured at any point with respect to any other point (parallel).
Like you said, it's important to remember the difference between current and voltage...
CURRENT is a measurement of the number of electrons flowing past a certian point in a given time frame. I've always pictured it as: you break the circiut, forcing all of the electrons to go through the meter, "counting" them.
VOLTAGE on the other hand is a measurement of potential. "Pressure," if you will. When you measure voltage, you've to keep track of what point you are using as refrence. As such, you *could* wire a volt meter in series... but you'd read 0V. The difference in potential accross a perfect conductor is 0. (Try measuring the voltage drop accross a resistor, and then measure the voltage at a point with respect to ground...)
Of course, keep Mr. Ohm in mind! Voltage = Current * Resistance
Hope that helps!