electrometer
Sign in to savethumb|Kolbe electrometer, precision form of gold-leaf instrument. This has a light pivoted aluminum vane hanging next to a vertical metal plate. When charged the vane is repelled by the plate and hangs at an angle.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Historical electrometers
- Gold-leaf electroscope
- Early quadrant electrometer
- Coulomb's electrometer
- Peltier electrometer
- Bohnenberger electrometer
- Attraction electrometer
- Kelvin's quadrant electrometer
- Electrograph
- Modern electrometers
- Vibrating reed electrometers
- Valve electrometers
- Solid-state electrometers
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Kolbe electrometer, precision form of gold-leaf instrument. This has a light pivoted aluminum vane hanging next to a vertical metal plate. When charged the vane is repelled by the plate and hangs at an angle.
An electrometer is an electrical instrument for measuring electric charge or electrical potential difference. There are many different types, ranging from historical handmade mechanical instruments to high-precision electronic devices. Modern electrometers based on vacuum tube or solid-state technology can be used to make voltage and charge measurements with very low leakage currents, down to 1 femtoampere. A simpler but related instrument, the electroscope, works on similar principles but only indicates the relative magnitudes of voltages or charges.