What is Oscilloscope? — Physics

Definition 8.6 High School Physics · Chapter 8 — Signals and Waves

An oscilloscope plots a voltage against time; the curve on its gridded screen is an oscillogram. Two settings convert screen divisions into physical values: the time base (seconds per horizontal division) and the vertical gain (volts per vertical division).

An oscillogram, time base 5\, ms/div and gain 2\, V/div: one cycle spans 4.0 divisions (T = 20\, ms, f = 50\, Hz) and the crest sits 3.0 divisions up (amplitude 6.0\, V). — An oscillogram, time base $5\,\mathrm{ms}$ /div and gain $2\,\mathrm{V}$ /div: one cycle spans $4.0$ divisions ( $T = 20\,\mathrm{ms}$ , $f = 50\,\mathrm{Hz}$ ) and the crest sits $3.0$ divisions up (amplitude $6.0\,\mathrm{V}$ ).

Examples

Example 8.8 (A full reading)

On the oscillogram below, the time base is $5\,\mathrm{ms}$ per division and the gain $2\,\mathrm{V}$ per division. One cycle spans $4.0$ divisions: $T = 4.0 \times 5\,\mathrm{ms} = 20\,\mathrm{ms}$ and $f = 1/0.020\,\mathrm{s} = 50\,\mathrm{Hz}$ — the mains again. A crest sits $3.0$ divisions above the axis: the amplitude is $3.0 \times 2\,\mathrm{V} = 6.0\,\mathrm{V}$ .

Read in context →