galvanometer

American  

[gal-vuh-nom-i-ter] / ˌgæl vəˈnɒm ɪ tər /

noun

1. an instrument for detecting the existence of small electric currents and determining their strength.

---

galvanometer British  

/ ˌɡælvəˈnɒmɪtə, ɡælˌvænə-, ˌɡælvənəʊˈmɛtrɪk /

noun

1. any sensitive instrument for detecting or measuring small electric currents

---

galvanometer Scientific  

/ găl′və-nŏm′ĭ-tər /

1. An instrument that detects small electric currents and indicates their direction and relative strength. Current flowing through the galvanometer passes through a coil near a magnetized needle on a pivot; the strength of the current in the coil regulates the strength of a magnetic field that displaces the needle. Galvanometers can be used directly as ammeters, and are the core element of many ohmmeters and voltmeters.

---

Other Word Forms

• galvanometry
  noun
• galvanometric
  adjective
• galvanometrically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of galvanometer

First recorded in 1795–1805; galvano- + -meter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

galvanometer

When the galvanometer reads zero, emfx = IRx , where Rx is the resistance of the section of wire up to the contact point.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Since the shunt resistance is small, most of the current passes through it, allowing an ammeter to measure currents much greater than those producing a full-scale deflection of the galvanometer.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Figure 21.33 A small shunt resistance R placed in parallel with a galvanometer G produces an ammeter, the full-scale deflection of which depends on the choice of R .

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Suppose you want 10 V to produce a full- scale deflection of a voltmeter containing a 25-Ω galvanometer with a 50-µA sensitivity.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

“As the galvanometer spot swung across the scale, indicating that protons of 1-MeV energy were reaching the collector,” Livingston recalled, “Lawrence literally danced around the room with glee.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik