Difference between Moving Iron and Moving Coil
Moving iron and moving coil transformers are widely used in various countries around the world today for line conditioning in industrial and commercial transformer stations.
The main difference is that a moving iron meter has an iron core that moves within an electromagnetic field, while a moving coil meter has a coil of wire that moves within an electromagnetic field.
Before we move to the differences, let’s understand what are Moving Iron and Moving Coil:
- Moving Iron: In moving iron instruments, the magnetic field is created by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
- Moving Coil: In moving coil instruments, there are two coils: one fixed and one free to move up and down.
Now, let’s move to Moving Iron vs Moving Coil:
Major differences between Moving Iron and Moving Coil
| Moving Iron | Moving Coil |
|---|---|
| The working principle of moving iron instrument depends on magnetism. | The working principle of moving coil instrument is similar to the working principle of dc motor. |
| It has less accuracy as compared to moving coil instrument. | It has more accuracy as compared to moving iron instrument. |
| It can be used as an ammeter, voltmeter and wattmeter. | It can be used as a voltmeter, ammeter, galvanometer and ammeter. |
| It is free from the hysteresis loss. | Hysteresis loss occurs in the moving coil instrument. |
| It is used for measuring both DC and AC. | It is used for the DC measurement. |
That’s it.
Note that sometimes, the question might also be asked as “distinguish between Moving Iron and Moving Coil”.
Also see:
- Difference between Diamond and Graphite
- Difference between Circle and Sphere
- Difference between Photodiode and Solar Cell
Final words
In conclusion, both the moving iron and moving coil instruments have their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of which one to use will depend on various factors such as the type of measurement that you want to make and the range of frequencies you need to measure.
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