Capacitors, Ammeters, Voltmeters
Name__________________
Capacitors
Capacitors store ______________________________ by creating a _________________
____________________ usually on two parallel plates
Positive battery terminal pulls electrons from one plate and pushes them through
the terminal to the opposite plate.
Process continues until the ΔV of the plates = ΔV of the battery
◊ Capacitors are useful b/c they ___________________________________,
but can ______________________________________________ than a battery
◊ Ex amples: flash in a camera, amplifier in car audio system,
detonator, particle accelerator
Found in nearly all electronics!
Ammeters
Measures__________________ passing through it
• is always ______________________________________________________ with a component we want to measure in
order that whatever current passes through the component also passes the ammeter.
• has a ________________________________ compared with the resistance of the circuit so that it will not alter the
current the current being measured.
• would ideally have no resistance with no potential difference across it so no energy would be dissipated in it.
Voltmeter
Measures ______________________________ between two points

is always connected ________________________________________________
• has a ___________________________________________ so that it takes very little current from the device whose
potential difference is being measured.
• an ideal voltmeter would have infinite resistance with no current passing through it and no energy would be
dissipated in it.
Why should an ammeter have very low resistance?
Why should a voltmeter have very high resistance?
How are ammeters connected to a circuit and why?
How are voltmeters connected to a circuit and why?