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A thermal ammeter, also known as a hot-wire ammeter, is an instrument used to measure electric current. It is primarily used for measuring alternating current (AC) and typically has an accuracy of 0.5 to 3 percent.12

The operating principle involves the measured current heating a piece of wire. The expansion of this heated wire is then used to indicate the magnitude of the current. A related instrument is the thermoammeter, which uses a thermoelement connected to a sensitive voltmeter to measure small currents.23

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