Definition
A rating of a voltmeter expressed in ohms per volt, indicating how much resistance the meter places across the circuit being measured for each volt of full-scale deflection. A higher ohms-per-volt rating means the meter draws less current from the circuit and therefore gives a more accurate reading, especially in high-resistance circuits.
Plain English
A number that tells you how much the voltmeter itself disturbs the circuit when you take a reading. The higher the number, the less the meter affects what it's measuring, and the more accurate the reading.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft electrical system maintenance and troubleshooting, especially when choosing a meter to measure voltage in a circuit.
Derivation
Sensitivity' comes from Latin 'sentire,' meaning 'to feel' or 'to perceive.' A more sensitive voltmeter can 'feel' small voltages without disturbing them — much like a careful observer who watches without interfering.
Why Pilots Care
A low-sensitivity meter can load sensitive aircraft circuits and produce falsely low voltage readings.
Intuition Check
Sensitivity does not mean the meter is fragile or delicate. Here it means how little current the voltmeter needs in order to show a voltage reading.
Example Sentence 1
The technician chose a voltmeter with high sensitivity to test the radio circuit, knowing that a low-sensitivity meter would give an inaccurate reading.
Example Sentence 2
Using a low-sensitivity meter on the voltage regulator output gave an inaccurate reading.