If I loop a cable around a clamp on ammeter 3 times and get an amperage reading of 15, what is the actual amperage of the cable? If a cable is looped once around a clamp on ammeter and the amperage reading is 4, what is the actual amperage of the cable? Is there a formula?

You aren't supposed to be looping a cable around a clamp on ammeter. That's improper use

It is what it reads. If it says four... its four.

But what if you were to loop it? What would happen?

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Originally Posted by smoothy

You aren't supposed to be looping a cable around a clamp on ammeter. That's improper use

It is what it reads. If it says four... its four.

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Those questions are questions from a test... I can't figure it out ANYWHERE. I've even asked multiple electricans and they can seem to give me a straight answer. I need this thoroughly explained.

It's a statement of induction. The more loops the greater the induced amperage.

For a detailed answer, ask your instructor. Regardless of the answer he/she gives, the question itself is B/S. As stated earlier looping a cable skews the amperage reading and the amperage flowing in a cable just is not taken that way!

I think you should try it and report the findings. Most of us here are finished with school.

Try taking readings both ways, both looped and unlooped and document your findings and draw a conclusion.

The real problem with this question is that it doesn't define what "loop a cable around a clamp on ammeter 3 times" means. I would assume that where it says "cable" they mean "wire" (you don't clamp an ammeter around a cable but rather individual wires), and that the wire passes through the ammeter clamp a total of 4 times, with current in each of the four sections of wire that the ammeter reads all flowing in the same direction. So the amount of current the ammeter would sense is 4 times the amount of current in any one section of the wire. However - if the wire is looped back on itself then two of the sections would have current flowing one way and the other two would have current flowing the other, so the ammeter would sense 0 current. Hopefully the question is accompanied by a diagram to resolve this conundrum.