Question 487Electricity & Electronics - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is D) hook the jaws of the instrument around the insulated single conductor. To properly use a clamp-on-type ammeter, the first step is to clamp the jaws of the instrument around the insulated single conductor carrying the current you want to measure. This allows the ammeter to measure the current flowing through the conductor without having to break the circuit and connect the ammeter in series. This is the key advantage of a clamp-on ammeter, as it does not require de-energizing the circuit or making any changes to the wiring. The other options are incorrect because they do not describe the proper initial setup for a clamp-on ammeter. Shorting the test leads and calibrating to zero (option B) is not necessary, and connecting voltage test leads (option C) is for measuring voltage, not current.