Article
Article
Oscilloscope
Article By:
Knight, R. B. D. Division of Electrical Science, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.478100
An electronic measuring instrument which produces a display showing the relationship of two or more variables. In most cases it is an orthogonal (x,y) plot with the horizontal axis being a linear function of time. The vertical axis is normally a linear function of voltage at the signal input terminal of the instrument. Because transducers of many types are available to convert almost any physical phenomenon into a corresponding voltage, the oscilloscope is a very versatile tool that is useful for many forms of physical investigation. See also: Transducer
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