When electronic devices malfunction, there are ways to find the cause of the problem. Circuit testing is often the first diagnostics performed on an electrical device that has stopped working. A quick and relatively easy test to run, circuit testing can be performed with simple tools such as a multimeter or a test light. One can also use a more complex tool such as the In-Circuit Test.
Circuit testing determines whether electrical current can travel through a circuit. Resistance, measured in ohms, is the measure of the resistance in a circuit. A measure of 0 ohms means there is no resistance. Current flows freely with no obstacles. If the reading is infinite ohms means there may be a unintended break in the connection.
The multimeter is a common tool used in circuit testing. Multimeters have two probes and either a digital or analog display. This simple device is used to determine whether electrical current is traveling from one end of a circuit to another. If the current reaches its destination, the multimeter will register that there are 0 ohms because there is no break in the circuit, or no resistance. If current cannot pass through, the device will register that there are infinite ohms which means that the electrical current is not traveling from one end to the other.
