If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC...

Question 1 / 270705eccefa3bacbc34ba4d47f4d

Question 1 of 270705eccefa3bacbc34ba4d47f4d

If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC volts reads slightly above 'zero' when its leads are disconnected, what is this a result of?

Back

Question 1 of 27070

If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC volts reads slightly above 'zero' when its leads are disconnected, what is this a result of?

🔍 Key Concepts

• Behavior of a high-impedance digital multimeter (DMM) when leads are open (not connected) • Effect of surrounding electromagnetic fields and nearby energized wiring on meter readings • Difference between true stored charge (like in capacitors) and induced or pickup signals

💭 Think About

• Think about what the meter is actually connected to when the test leads are just hanging in the air. Is there a real circuit or just an antenna effect? • Ask yourself: would a genuine miscalibration or bad ground only show up near zero, or would it affect readings across the whole range? • Consider what happens if you briefly short the two leads together and then separate them again—would the slight reading stay, decay, or change unpredictably?

✅ Before You Answer

• Check which choice best describes induced or pickup voltages from surrounding fields, not a permanent stored charge. • Verify which options would typically cause consistent, repeatable errors on all readings, not just tiny values near zero. • Eliminate any option that requires the meter to be physically connected into a circuit or to a charged component, since the leads are specified as disconnected.

Question 1 of 27070

If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC volts reads slightly above 'zero' when its leads are disconnected, what is this a result of?

definite miscalibration of the meter

a poor ground for the meter case

ghost' voltages due to electromagnetic energy in the air

capacitors inside the meter storing charges

Question 1 / 270705eccefa3bacbc34ba4d47f4d

Question 1 of 270705eccefa3bacbc34ba4d47f4d

If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC volts reads slightly above 'zero' when its leads are disconnected, what is this a result of?

Back

Question 1 of 27070

If a digital multimeter set up to measure AC volts reads slightly above 'zero' when its leads are disconnected, what is this a result of?