To check the amount of electrical current a load is drawing, technicians use a(n):

• A. Ammeter
• B. Voltmeter
• C. Ohmmeter
• D. Multimeter

Answer: (A)

To determine how much current a load is drawing, you need a device that measures the flow of electrons through the circuit. An ammeter is designed for this job and is placed in series with the load so all the circuit current passes through it. Because it presents only a small, known resistance, it doesn’t significantly alter the current in the circuit while it measures it.

A voltmeter, by contrast, measures voltage and is connected in parallel with the load. An ohmmeter measures resistance by applying a test current and reading the resulting voltage, but it isn’t used to read current in a live circuit. A multimeter can measure current, voltage, and resistance, but for specifically checking the current drawn by a live load, the dedicated ammeter is the standard choice (often a clamp-on meter is used for convenience with larger currents).