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.

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galvanometer British  

/ ˌɡælvəˈnɒmɪtə, ɡælˌvænə-, ˌɡælvənəʊˈmɛtrɪk /

noun

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• galvanometric
  adjective
• galvanometrically
  adverb
• galvanometry
  noun

Etymology

Origin of galvanometer

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

Example Sentences

Now, a very precisely known standard emfs is substituted for emfx , and the contact point is adjusted until the galvanometer again reads zero, so that emfs = IRs .

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

There are practical limits to galvanometer sensitivity, but it is possible to get analog meters that make measurements accurate to a few percent.

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

In both cases, no current passes through the galvanometer, and so the current I through the long wire is the same.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

He used an electric current to stimulate an amphibian’s calf, then employed the galvanometer to measure how long it took the electrical current to run along the sciatic nerve.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel