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is used to
When using Voltmeters, Ammeters, and DMMs the omission of the ground is not a problem as these devices are not themselves
grounded. As shown in Figure 3, two AC voltmeters will give the accurate values of the voltage drop over each resistor.
Oscilloscopes on the other hand are already grounded since they are connected to mains power. One probe on each channel is
already at ground. The grounded probe must always be connected to the ground location or to any lead wire that is directly
connected to the circuit ground.
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There are only two ways to connect a single channel of the oscilloscope to the circuit we have been considering. These are
shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4 the scope will display V 2. In Figure 5 the scope will display V1 + V2 which is the same as
the power supply potential V.
In fact since the ground probe is already at ground not plugging it into the circuit will have no effect on the potential displayed. Try
it and see!
Suppose we are careless about the ground probe and connect it to the circuit as shown in Figure 6. What we will we see
displayed on the scope?
The answer is that the ground and the ground probe are both at zero potential. With no potential difference between these two
points, no current will flow through resistor R2. Resistor R2 has been short- circuited. Hence V2' is zero and all the voltage drop
over R1, V1', equals the power supply voltage V. It is as if an invisible resistanceless wire has ben connected between the two
points as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 8 shows another circuit with the oscilloscope misconnected. What would be the reading here? The answer is printed at
the bottom of this document.
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One of the most common mistakes that a novice user of an oscilloscope can make is to accidently short circuit part of the circuit
they are investigating. Always know where the circuit ground point is located! Always know which probe is the ground probe!
How to find the correct V1 using an Oscilloscope
It might seem from the preceding discussion that we could never use an oscilloscope to measure V 1, the voltage drop over R1,
by itself. However scopes have many more feature than discussed so far. First an oscilloscope has two separate channels so
that it can display two voltages at one. In Figure 9, both sets of probes have been correctly connected to the circuit. Channel 1
will display V = V1 + V2 while channel 2 will display V2. Note that the CHOP or ALT buttons allows both signals to be displayed
at the same time. Channel 2 also has an INVERT button. Pull this button and Channel 2 now displays V 2. If you now press the
ADD or SUM button, the oscilloscope adds the two signals together and displays only the sum. That is we will see V sum = V1 + V2
+ V2 = V1. This is a trick which we will use often in the lab.
Answer:
We are trying to read the voltage over R2, but R2 has been short-circuited. The scope will read zero.
Questions?mike.coombes@kwantlen.ca
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