Description

This ammeter is housed in a fan-shaped metal box mounted on a wood base. The instrument case has an arc-shaped window that opens onto a white scale that is graduated from 0 to 500 (milliamperes). At the bottom of the case, there is another window that shows a metal coil that is attached to the indicator needle for the scale. The base has hour electrical connectors on the lower corners. Serial number 4039.

Ammeters measure electric current, and this instrument was designed to measure direct (as opposed to alternating) current. This instrument was used in the MIT Department of Chemistry's undergraduate laboratories. There is a calibration paper taped on the top of the instrument, which indicates that it was used until at least 1949.

Type

inscription

Location

front of instrument

Method

metal plaque

Text

Weston Electrical Instruments Co. / Model 1 No. 4039 / Newark, NJ, USA

Type

property tag

Location

top of instrument

Method

green metal property sticker

Text

MIT Dept. of Chemistry / No. 00569 / Undergraduate Laboratories

Type

inscription

Location

bottom of instrument

Method

branded

Text

Theo. Chem. Dept.