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Measuring Impedance of a wall socket

Note1: When posting the same question to multiple groups, pit ALL the groups on the Subject line. This is called cross-posting.

Note2: This is hardly a proper question for sci.electronics.design. . . Measure the circuit unloaded, then loaded. Calculate the voltage divider.

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maybe a few ohms

_____/\\/\\_____ | / \\ 10Mohn / instrument \\ ______________|

maybe a few ohms

_____/\\/\\____________________ | | / / \\ known \\ 10Mohm / load / instrument \\ \\ ______________|______________|

Reply to
JeffM
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Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me with a curious question. How would one go about measuring the impedance of a wall socket? Assuming it is

120V, of course. I'm not just looking for a formula but rather to understand the concept. Any websites or other resources would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Reply to
cyrille perron

Don't multi-post. If you're posting the same question to more than one group, cross-post. To crosspost, just put the names of all of the NGs that you're crossposting to in the "newsgroups" header field.

Well, this guy explains it better than I can:

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And, in answer to your question, in theory, the impedance of a wall outlet should be zero. To measure it, stick a voltmeter across the mains, and turn on a light. If the voltage changes, you have an impedance that shouldn't be there.

Good Luck! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

I tried your experiment. I got 117.9V with the light off and 117.2 with it on. Should I start ripping out my defective wiring? FWIW there ain't no such thing as zero. mike

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Reply to
mike

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