Voltammeters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument that measures the voltage of an electrical circuit or component
2. A device used to assess potential difference in volts
3. A measurement tool specifically designed for determining electrical voltage levels

Etymology: "Voltammeters" is the plural of "voltammeter," a compound built from "volt" and "ammeter." The first part honours Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist whose work on electrochemistry led to the electric cell, and the unit of electrical potential was named in his honour. The second part, "ammeter," is an instrument for measuring electric current, so the compound pairs the unit of voltage with the name of the family of meters it belongs to. The word therefore describes a device that reads electrical potential, the pressure that drives current through a circuit, rather than the current itself. A voltammeter is essentially an ammeter's sibling, built on the same principle of measuring electricity but calibrated for a different quantity.