The wattmeter is an electrical instrument used for measuring the active electrical power generated on a section of a power line. It is generally a particular form of electrodynamometer.
INSIGHTS
Inside the electrical circuits the overall power is given by the combination of two factors: active and reactive power. Active power, which is measured in watts, is responsible for the vast majority of visible phenomena (heat, load lifting, etc.).
Electromagnetic wattmeters are used to measure the frequency and the power related to audio. Other types of wattmeter are required to measure the radio frequency.
The wattmeter term is generally used to describe a particular form of electrodynamometer which consists in a fixed wire coil and a suspended wire coil. The latter is typically adjacent or wound to the former, and placed in such a way as to be mobile. In general, the instrument resembles a Siemens electrodynamometer.
