Baculna, Mark Nicole N.

BSME V
ME 414E
INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL ENGINEERING
PRACTICAL ACTIVITY NO. 4
Title: ALTERNATING CURRENT METERS

Objectives:

1. To understand how an analog ac meters are being constructed.

2. To design and construct a basic ac meter using the d’Arsonval meter movement and
rectifiers.
3. To know the error introduced by ac meters in an electrical circuit.

Procedures:

1. Using the 0.3 mA ammeter as the meter movement, measure the internal resistance of the
meter. What is the sensitivity of this meter for a half-wave rectifier?
Rm = 0.93 KΩ

2. You are going to design and construct a 0 – 10V AC voltmeter with half-wave rectifier.
3. Compute the multiplier resistance, Rs for this voltmeter. Set this value in a 100 k ohms
variable resistor, and connect the circuit as shown in the figure 1.

𝟏
Sdc =
𝑰 𝒅𝒄

𝟏
=
𝟎.𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝑨
= 3.33 kΩ / V
Sac = Sdc x 0.45
𝟑.𝟑𝟑𝒌Ω
= x 0.45
𝑽
= 1.5 kΩ / V

Rs (ac) = Sac x Range – Rm

𝟏.𝟓 𝒌Ω
= 𝒙 𝟏𝟎 𝑽 − 𝟎.93 kΩ
𝒗
= 14.07 kΩ computed
= 14.06 kΩ actual

% full scale reading

98.0 %
4. Adjust the voltage to 10 V ac and take note of the scale deflection. What percentage of the
full-scale is the reading?

Rs Diode

Ein Im = 0.3mA meter

movement

Fig. 1

5. Adjust the voltage for a full-scale deflection and take note of the voltage reading.
10.1 V Adjusted

6. You have constructed a 0 – 10 V half-wave rectified AC voltmeter.

7. Using a variac and two 10k variable resistors, connect the circuit as shown in the figure 2.

5 k ohms

Ein = 10Vac 10 k ohms

8. With the aid of digital multi-tester, adjust the voltage across the variac to 10 Vac.
9. Compute the voltage drop across the 10 k ohms resistance.
V10 = 6.72 V Computed

10. Connect your constructed ac voltmeter across the 10 k ohms resistance, and take the
reading. Disconnect the voltmeter.
V10 = 5.3 V Actual

11. What is the error of your constructed AC voltmeter?

𝟔.𝟕𝟐−𝟓.𝟑 𝑽
𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟔.𝟕𝟐𝒗

= 21.13 %

12. You are going to design and construct a 0 – 10 V AC voltmeter with full-wave rectifier.
13. Compute the value of multiplier resistor for this voltmeter, Set this value in 100 k ohm
variable resistor and connect the circuit as shown in the figure.
 Rs

meter
movement

Ein

Sac = Sdc x 0.9

= 3.33 x 0.9 kΩ
= 2.997 kΩ/ V

Rs = Sac x Range – Rm
= 2.997 kΩ/ V x 10 V – 0.93 kΩ
= 29.04 kΩ Computed
= 29.4 kΩ Actual

14. Adjust the input voltage to 10V AC, and take note of the deflection in the meter movement.
What percentage of full-scale is the reading?

𝟐𝟗.𝟒 −𝟐𝟗.𝟎𝟒
= 𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟐𝟗.𝟒

= 1.22 %
15. Adjust the voltage for a full-scale deflection and take note of the voltage reading.
= 10.6 V adjusted

16. You have constructed a 0 – 10 V full-wave rectified AC voltmeter

17. Repeat procedures 7 – 9, and connect the constructed full-wave rectified voltmeter across
the 10 k ohms resistance, and determine the voltage reading.

𝐕 𝟏𝟎
𝑰= = = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟓 𝑨
𝑹𝟏+𝑹𝟐 𝟏𝟎.𝟒+𝟓.𝟎𝟑
V10 = I R = (0.65 A)(10.4 Ω) = 6.75 V
18. What is the error of this constructed voltmeter.

𝟗.𝟓−𝟔.𝟕𝟓
= 𝟗.𝟓 𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟎
= 28.95 % % error
19. Which AC voltmeter is better. Why?

Half wave rectifier AC voltmeter is better than Full wave rectifier, because it has
more accurate reading and less percentage error.