Product Summary
The PASCO Basic Electrometer is a quantitative electroscope, measuring the polarity and magnitude of charged objects. With almost infinite input resistance (1014 ohm), the Electrometer is a high-impedance voltmeter, draining almost no charge from the object it is measuring.
Features
- Center-Zero Meter: Polarity is indicated directly.
- Switch-Selectable Ranges: 3, 10, 30, and 100 VDC. LED lights indicate the range in use.
- Zeroing Switch: Removes all charge from the input and brings the meter to zero.
- Automatic Shutoff: Turns off about 3 hours after turned on (or used in any way).
- Output Compatible with PASCO Interfaces: The interface cable included with the Electrometer connects to an analog channel on an 850 or 550 Universal Interface or a PASPORT interface through an Analog Adapter. This enables the output signal from the Electrometer to be recorded, displayed, and analyzed by PASCO software.
- Battery Operation: 4 “AA” cells included. Range indicator lights flash when batteries need to be replaced.
Five reasons to use an electrometer:
- Quantitative Readout: The linear scale is a major advantage of the Electrometer. While an electroscope is only roughly quantitative, the Electrometer produces readings to ±3%. Verify physical laws and to determine if relations are linear or exponential. The Electrometer allows the student to measure rather than just observe.
- Direct Polarity Indication: Where polarity distinction is required, the electroscope is inconvenient; a known reference charge must be used. The Electrometer, by contrast, directly indicates polarity on a center-zero meter.
- Adjustable Sensitivity: The full scale sensitivity of the Electrometer is adjustable. Unlike the electroscope where the experiment must be adjusted to the measuring instrument, the Electrometer adjusts to the experiment.
- High Sensitivity: Increases the variety and scope of electrostatics demonstrations. Many electrostatics demonstrations theoretically possible with an electroscope are difficult because of the 100,000 VDC and higher voltages required. Such voltages are difficult to work with and hard to measure.
- Large Display Capability: Although the unit is designed for small group use, the Electrometer may be connected easily (cable included) to a 550 or 850 Universal Interface. With the use of PASCO software, a meter display that fits the monitor can be produced.
What's Included
- 1x Shielded input cable to connect the Electrometer to the Faraday Ice Pail or other source of charge
- 1x Grounding cable with clip
- 1x Interface cable
- 1x Instruction and experiment manual
Product Specifications
| Voltage input ranges | 3 V, 10 V, 30 V, 100 V |
| Input resistance | Approximately 1014 ohms |
| Signal output range | -10 to +10 V (maps to ±100 V) |
| Signal output accuracy | ±1% |
| Batteries | 4 "AA" cells (alkaline recommended) |
Experiment Library
Perform the following experiments and more with the Basic Electrometer.
Visit PASCO's Experiment Library to view more activities.
College / Physics
Compare and contrast the results of three different methods of charging: (1) rubbing two objects together; (2) touching a charged object to a neutral one; and (3) grounding a neutral object while it is polarized (charging by induction)....
College / Physics
Investigate how the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor varies when the plate separation is changed and to qualitatively see the effect of introducing a dielectric material between the plates. A computer model of the system...
