Chapter 8

Measuring Circuits with a Multimeter

In This Chapter

arrow Familiarising yourself with a multimeter

arrow Measuring current, voltage and resistance

arrow Looking at your first electronics equation: Ohm’s Law

Just think how great it would be if every circuit you built worked right the first time you built it. You’d quickly develop a reputation as an electronics genius and in no time at all be the president of Intel.

But in the real world, a circuit doesn’t always work correctly the first time. Then you have two options: you can scratch your head and stare at it for hours on end, or you can pull out your test equipment and analyse the circuit to find out what’s wrong.

In this chapter, you discover how to use one of the electronics engineer’s favourite tools – the multimeter, which contains several different meters that can measure current, voltage and resistance. Learn how to use it well because it’s going to be your trusty companion throughout your adventures in electronics.

Looking at Multimeters

You know those late-night TV ads that try to sell you amazing kitchen gadgets that are like a combination blender, juicer, food processor, mixer and bottle opener all in one? A multimeter is kind ...

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