January 1963 Popular Electronics
Table of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
Popular Electronics,
published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
|
The early 1960s was evidently a good time for printing quizzes in electronics magazines. Popular Electronics was no exception. As I look through my collection I am finding quite a few. Here is the latest, from the January 1963 edition, that tests basic knowledge of using analog multimeters (digital types were not around yet). All are pretty straightforward; however, be careful with question 9. At first I thought maybe it was a trick question, but the key to arriving at the correct answer is noting that you are measuring a low resistance. Be sure to consider the properties of a standard multimeter of the era. Give it a try for yourself to see how well you fare. There was another Electronic Measurement Quiz in the August 1967 Popular Electronics. Electronic Measurement Quiz
Electronic circuits perform functions similar to many mechanical devices and natural phenomena, and finding an analogy between them often leads to a better understanding of both. See if you can match the numbered electronic circuits on the left with the lettered sketches on the right. See answers below.
Popular Electronics published many quizzes over the years
- some really simple and others not so simple. Robert Balin created many of the quizzes.
This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.
- A Baffling Quiz
- January 1968
- Electronics IQ Quiz
- May 1967
- Plug and Jack Quiz
- December 1967
- Electronic
Switching Quiz - October 1967
- Electronic
Angle Quiz - September 1967
- International
Electronics Quiz - July 1967
- Bridge Circuit
Quiz -December 1966
- Diode Function
Quiz - August 1965
- Diagram Quiz, August
1966
- TV Trouble Quiz,
July 1966
- Electronics History Quiz,
December 1965
- Scope-Trace Quiz,
March 1965
- Electronic
Circuit Analogy Quiz, April 1973
- Test
Your Knowledge of Semiconductors, August 1972
- Ganged Switching
Quiz, April 1972
- Lamp Brightness
Quiz, January 1969
- Lissajous Pattern Quiz, September 1963
- Electronic
Quizoo, October 1962
- Electronic Photo Album Quiz, March 1963
- Electronic Alphabet Quiz, May 1963
- Quiz: Resistive?
Inductive? or Capacitive?, October 1960
- Vector-Circuit Matching Quiz, June 1970
- Inductance
Quiz, September 1961
- RC Circuit
Quiz, June 1963
- Diode Quiz,
July 1961
- Electronic Curves Quiz, February 1963
- Electronic Numbers Quiz, December 1962
- Energy Conversion Quiz, April 1963
- Coil
Function Quiz, June 1962
|
- Semiconductor
Quiz - February 1967
- Unknown Frequency
Quiz - September 1965
- Electronics
Metals Quiz - October 1964
- Electronics
Measurement Quiz - August 1967
- Meter-Reading Quiz,
June 1966
- Electronic
Geometry Quiz, January 1965
- Electronic
Factor Quiz, November 1966
- Electronics
Math Quiz, November 1965
- Series Circuit Quiz,
May 1966
- Electrochemistry
Quiz, March 1966
- Electronic Analogy
Quiz, November 1961
- Electronic
Coupling Quiz, August 1973
- Electronics Analogy Quiz, August 1960
- Audio Quiz,
April 1955
- Electronic
Unit Quiz, May 1962
-
Capacitor Circuit Quiz, June 1968
- Quiz on AC Circuit Theory, December 1970
- Magnetic Phenomena Quiz, February 1962
- Electronics Geography Quiz, April 1970
-
Electronic Menu Quiz, August 1963
- Electronic Noise Quiz, August 1962
- Electronic Current Quiz, October 1963
- Electronic Inventors Quiz, November 1963
- Resistor
Function Quiz, January 1962
- Electronic Measurement Quiz, January 1963
- Vacuum
Tube Quiz, February 1961
- Kool-Keeping Kwiz, June
1970
- Find the
Brightest Bulb Quiz, April 1960
|
Electronic Measurement Quiz Answers 1 TRUE. If a voltmeter is rated at 20,000 ohms-per-volt, it has an input resistance of 100 times 20,000 ohms on its 100-volt scale, and 600 times 20,000 ohms on its 600-volt scale. The higher this shunting resistance is, the less it reduces the resistance across which the voltage is measured. 2 FALSE. If the instrument does not have a transit (shorting) position, set it on its highest current range-because the meter will then be using its lowest value of shunt resistance. If the meter coil is jiggled while being moved, the voltage it generates can produce the largest amount of damping current. 3 TRUE. Glass-and .especially plastic-meter faces will have a static charge built up on them when they are rubbed with a dry cloth. The static charges will attract the needle on the inside, and more dust on the outside. Use a cloth dampened with anti-static fluid (such as Weston's "Statnul"). 4 FALSE. Use the highest current range because the ammeter pointer is least apt to "pin" against a stop. Once the current magnitude has been determined, step down to lower current scales. 5 TRUE. Meter friction due to worn bearings or dirt tends to make the needle stop too soon when it is slowing down for an indication. 6 FALSE. Most meters are of the D'Arsonval type, which responds to the average value of the signal waveform. An a.c. meter scale increases this reading by a factor of 1.11 in order to indicate r.m.s. values of sine waves. For a square wave, r.m.s. and average are the same; hence, the factor is not needed and the meter will read high. 7 TRUE. An ammeter deflects correctly when electrons enter its negative terminal and leave by its positive terminal. 8 TRUE. If the accuracy of a meter is given, for example, as 3 % of full scale deflection, it means that a reading taken anywhere on that particular range is accurate to only 3% of the total range on that scale. Therefore, if reading accuracy is what you want, select the smallest range that can indicate your reading. 9 FALSE. When determining low resistances, don't measure the voltage drop across both the unknown resistance and the ammeter. The ammeter resistance might be of the same magnitude or greater than the unknown resistance and introduce large errors. 10 TRUE. In selecting the highest voltage scale, you reduce the possibility of "pinning" the pointer against a stop. Once the voltage magnitude is determined, step down to lower voltage scales. Posted March 7, 2019 (original 8/22/2012) |