Powering a circuit: electricity

3. The multimeter

A multimeter is a tool used for a wide range of electrical measurements.

A typical multimeter will measure voltage (voltmeter), current (amperemeter), resistance (ohmmeter), and continuity.

To set up the multimeter, we plug the black probe into the ground / common port and the red probe into the voltage terminal.

A multimeter also typically has a display that shows the measurements.

For now, we will only use the multimeter to test for continuity, so we will turn it to the beeper/continuity mode; there should be a sign similar to this one:


Once we are ready, first we touch one probe with the other to see if it works. You should hear a beeping sound which indicates a connection between the two points the probes are touching.

Now check the connections in your breadboard between each component to see if they are in the proper tie points.


You may learn more about using the multimeter with this video: