Ladder

Probe loading — the ladder

One essay so far against this idea. A ladder is the distinct arguments that stand against one idea, and this one has room to grow.
  1. -6-4-201101001k10k100k1M10M100Mfrequency (hertz)log₁₀ of the error in the reading1× probe, 115.0 pF at the tip10× probe, 11.5 pFone per cent1× is 1% out at 6.79 kHz10× at 69.2 kHzsolved, then checked — the node with and without the probe1% wrong at 6.79 kHz with a 1× probe

    The probe is part of the circuit

    A one-to-one oscilloscope probe on a two-kilohm source gives a reading that is one per cent wrong at 6.8 kHz. Not because the instrument is inaccurate — it is reading correctly — but because the hundred and fifteen picofarads at the end of the cable are across the node, and above that frequency the trace on the screen is a picture of a circuit that only exists while the probe is attached.

    rung 2 · instruments

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