What is a Current Clamp?
A current clamp is a device used in electrical and electronic engineering, to measure electrical current in a conductive material. It consists partly of a pair of jaws that close around an electrical conductor, to measure how electricity flows through the material. Some types of current clamps are used to induce a current into the conductive material, as well as measuring that current. One variety of current clamp is the iron vane. In this type of current clamp, the electrical current being measured causes a change in the internal magnetic core of the device. This changing magnetic field moves an iron vane, which is fixed in turn to a pointer on an analog dial. An iron vane clamp meter can be used to measure both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). The most common form of current clamp is often found in current transformers, and serves a slightly different purpose than the iron vane type. In these, a split ring made of iron compounds has a wire coil wound around it. This
