Elektrométerek

Elektrométerek are scientific instruments used to measure electric charge or electric potential difference. They are typically designed to have a very high impedance, meaning they draw almost no current from the circuit being measured. This high impedance is crucial for accurate measurements, especially when dealing with weak electrical signals or when minimizing disturbance to the system under investigation.

Early electrometers, such as the gold-leaf electrometer, relied on the electrostatic repulsion between charged parts of the instrument to indicate the presence and magnitude of a charge. A thin gold leaf, attached to a conductor, would diverge from another charged object when a charge was introduced, with the degree of divergence corresponding to the charge's intensity. More modern electrometers often use electronic amplification to detect and quantify very small charges or potential differences. These can include vibrating reed electrometers, field-effect transistor (FET) electrometers, and operational amplifier-based designs.

Applications of electrometers are diverse. They are employed in nuclear physics to detect and measure radiation, in environmental monitoring for atmospheric electricity studies, and in various fields of research and industry where precise measurement of electrical potential or charge is required without significantly influencing the source. Their ability to detect minute electrical quantities makes them invaluable tools for sensitive measurements.