Electrical current is measured with a(n) ________.

• A. Voltmeter
• B. Continuity light
• C. Ammeter
• D. Ohmmeter

Answer: (C)

Measuring electrical current requires an instrument placed in the path of the current so the same amount of current flows through it. That’s what an ammeter does: it’s connected in series with the circuit and reads the current in amperes. It’s designed with very low internal resistance so it doesn’t significantly drop voltage or alter the current in the circuit.

By contrast, a voltmeter is connected in parallel to measure the voltage across a component and has high internal resistance to minimize current draw. An ohmmeter measures resistance by applying a test voltage and is used when the circuit is off. A continuity indicator (light) simply shows whether a conductive path exists, not how much current is flowing.