On Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:25:23 GMT, "Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:

DJ Delorie said something like:

...[snip]...

No, current ratings are maximums, not absolutes. If those are the
real maximums, the result is a 6V 1mA source. Actual current draw
depends on the load, not the source.


Hmmmmm.....

If I connect an ammeter (from my handy multimeter) to a battery, what is it
measuring? The amount of amps allowed to pass through the wires, etc. of
the multimeter? If it depends entirely on load, then why wouldn't the
ammeter always measure the same regardless of what I connect it to?

The resistance of an ammeter is very low, so a very large current
would flow. The current would be limited by the resistance of the
wires, ammeter, and the internal resistance of the battery.


--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca