NEIEP Mechanics Practice Exam

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Question: 1 / 475

A minus sign in front of a reading from a digital voltmeter indicates what?

The voltage is too high

The positive lead is connected to the negative source

A minus sign in front of a reading from a digital voltmeter indicates that the positive lead of the voltmeter is connected to a negative source or terminal. This situation arises when the voltmeter is measuring voltage across a component or between two points in a circuit, and the polarity is reversed compared to the expected direction. In essence, this signifies that the reference point for the voltage measurement is lower than the other terminal being measured, leading to a negative voltage reading.

This is a normal behavior of a voltmeter, as it is designed to measure the potential difference between two points in a circuit. If the positive probe is attached to a point with lower electrical potential than the negative probe, the display will show a negative value. Understanding this polarity in measurements is crucial for accurate circuit analysis and troubleshooting.

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The circuit is overloaded

The voltmeter is malfunctioning

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