What amperage measurement would you expect if you clamped your meter around both wires in a two-wire circuit?

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Multiple Choice

What amperage measurement would you expect if you clamped your meter around both wires in a two-wire circuit?

Explanation:
The key idea is that a clamp meter reads the net current enclosed by the jaws. In a two-wire circuit, the supply wire carries current in one direction and the return wire carries the same current in the opposite direction. When you clamp around both wires, their magnetic fields cancel because the currents are equal and opposite. With no net magnetic field, the meter shows zero current. This cancellation is what makes a clamp reading around both conductors zero under normal operation. If you wanted to measure the current, you’d clamp around just one conductor, not both.

The key idea is that a clamp meter reads the net current enclosed by the jaws. In a two-wire circuit, the supply wire carries current in one direction and the return wire carries the same current in the opposite direction. When you clamp around both wires, their magnetic fields cancel because the currents are equal and opposite. With no net magnetic field, the meter shows zero current. This cancellation is what makes a clamp reading around both conductors zero under normal operation. If you wanted to measure the current, you’d clamp around just one conductor, not both.

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