When using a multimeter, you will see two voltage symbols. And for testing AC voltage, you must know the symbols to use it properly. In this article, you will get information about “what is the symbol for ac voltage on a multimeter.”
The symbol for the AC voltage on the multimeter is V, with the wavy line on it. The wavy line indicates the AC current, and V means voltage.
However, the DC voltage symbol is V with one dotted and a solid line. But the straight line or any dash is the symbol for the dc. The AC voltage is only measured in vols.
What is the symbol for AC voltage on a multimeter?
AC voltage symbol on the multimeter is V〜. In the symbol V〜, V denotes voltage, and the 〜 sign means
alternating current (that changes its direction). The voltage of alternating(changing) current is known as AC voltage.
Remember that the home power supply is AC voltage, and the batteries supply DC voltage.
On some previous multimeter models, VAC is written on the dial (knob) to represent AC voltage instead of V〜. Signs are written on the multimeter’s surface around the dial(knob). You have to rotate the dial to the V〜 sign to check the AC voltage of a circuit.
We can measure from 200 to 600 AC volts with a multimeter. As an AC supply is available to homes at a higher level (120 or 240V), the multimeter has only a high range(200 and 600 V) to test AC voltage.
However, DC(direct current) voltage comes through the battery, ranging from small to large. That’s why multimeters have millivolts to 600V range for DC current.
How to test AC voltage with a multimeter
To test AC voltage:
Wear protective gloves and turn on the power of the testing circuit.
- Set your multimeter to V〜(or VAC), and select a range(200 or 600V) above the circuit’s voltage you are testing.
- Connect the red probe to the live wire and the black probe to the ground wire.
- The multimeter will display the voltage of the circuit.
- To know if the circuit is fine and has maximum voltage compare the multimeter’s voltage reading of the live and ground wire with your home voltage supply(120 or 240V).
- The tested circuit should have voltage reding near your power supply if the tested circuit is fine.
- If the tested circuit is faulty, the voltage will decrease too much than your power supply, such as 100 or fewer volts in a 120V circuit.
Major symbols on the multimeter
The standard multimeter contains the following symbols:
- Hold button (hold button hold a test reading until you reset the multimeter)
- Min\max button(to set minimum and maximum range)
- Range button(capture reading in a specific range)
- AC voltage(V〜)
- Dc voltage(V⎓)
- Resistance(Ω)
- Continuity())))
- Diode test(⇥)
- AC(A〜) and DC(A⎓) current
Units on a multimeter
While measuring an electrical quantity, you can select different ranges of units, such as:
- DC voltage can be measured in millivolts and volts.
- You can measure DC Amperage in amps(A), milliamps(mA), and microamps(µA).
- Resistance is measured in ohms, mega ohms(Ω), kilohms(kΩ), and megaohms(MΩ).
- You can measure capacitance in Farads(F), millifarads(mF), or microfarads(µF).
Conclusion
The voltage function on the multimeter is used to measure the voltage of the AC source and DC battery. AC voltage is represented as V〜 and DC as V⎓.
But If you have clear information about the symbol used on the multimeter, you will get an accurate output and be able to use the device properly.
When you know the multimeter’s symbol, you can perform all of the functionality efficiently in a short time. You get familiar with the buttons and the multimeter symbol, so you can use it like a pro.
The symbol varies from model to model, but many models have this standard symbol in this article. You should also check the manual to understand the symbols.
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