---
title: "List of measuring instruments"
chunk: 1/5
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_measuring_instruments"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:29:33.241775+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

A measuring instrument is a device to measure a physical quantity. In the physical sciences, quality assurance, and engineering, measurement is the activity of obtaining and comparing physical quantities of real-world objects and events. Established standard objects and events are used as units, and the process of measurement gives a number relating the item under study and the referenced unit of measurement. Measuring instruments, and formal test methods which define the instrument's use, are the means by which these relations of numbers are obtained. All measuring instruments are subject to varying degrees of instrument error and measurement uncertainty.
These instruments may range from simple objects such as rulers and stopwatches to electron microscopes and particle accelerators. Virtual instrumentation is widely used in the development of modern measuring instruments.

== Time ==

In the past, common time measuring instrument were sundials, water clocks and hourglasses, measuring periods of time within a day. Today, the usual measuring instruments for time are clocks and watches. For highly accurate measurement of time an atomic clock is used.
Stopwatches are also used to measure time in some sports.

== Energy ==

Energy is measured by an energy meter. Examples of energy meters include:

=== Electricity meter ===
An electricity meter measures energy directly in kilowatt-hours.

=== Gas meter ===
A gas meter measures energy indirectly by recording the volume of gas used. This figure can then be converted to a measure of energy by multiplying it by the calorific value of the gas.

== Power (flux of energy) ==

A physical system that exchanges energy may be described by the amount of energy exchanged per time-interval, also called power or flux of energy.

(see any measurement device for power below)
For the ranges of power-values see: Orders of magnitude (power).

== Action ==

Action describes energy summed up over the time a process lasts (time integral over energy). Its dimension is the same as that of an angular momentum.

A phototube provides a voltage measurement which permits the calculation of the quantized action (Planck constant) of light.  (See also Photoelectric effect.)

== Geometry ==

=== Dimensions (size) ===

==== Length (distance) ====
Length, distance, or range meter
For the ranges of length-values see: Orders of magnitude (length)

==== Area ====
Planimeter
For the ranges of area-values see: Orders of magnitude (area)

==== Volume ====

Buoyant weight (solids)
Eudiometer, pneumatic trough (gases)
Flow measurement devices (liquids)
Graduated cylinder (liquids)
Measuring cup (grained solids, liquids)
Overflow trough (solids)
Pipette (liquids)
If the mass density of a solid is known, weighing allows to calculate the volume.
For the ranges of volume-values see: Orders of magnitude (volume)

=== Angle ===

Circumferentor
Cross staff
Goniometer
Graphometer
Inclinometer
Mural instrument
Plurimeter
Protractor
Quadrant
Reflecting instruments
Octant
Reflecting circles
Sextant
Theodolite and total station

=== Orientation in three-dimensional space ===
See also the section about navigation below.

==== Level ====

Level (instrument)
Laser line level
Spirit level

==== Direction ====
Gyroscope

=== Coordinates ===
Coordinate-measuring machine

== Mechanics ==
This includes basic quantities found in classical- and continuum mechanics; but strives to exclude temperature-related questions or quantities.

=== Mass or volume flow measurement ===
Gas meter
Mass flow meter
Metering pump
Water meter

=== Speed or velocity (flux of length) ===
Airspeed indicator
LIDAR speed gun
Radar speed gun, a Doppler radar device, using the Doppler effect for indirect measurement of velocity.
Speedometer
Tachometer (speed of rotation)
Tachymeter
Variometer (rate of climb or descent)
Velocimetry (measurement of fluid velocity)
For the ranges of speed-values see: Orders of magnitude (speed)

=== Acceleration ===
Accelerometer

=== Mass ===

Balance
Check weigher measures precise weight of items in a conveyor line, rejecting underweight or overweight objects.
Inertial balance
Katharometer
Mass spectrometers measure the mass-to-charge ratio, not the mass, of ionised particles.
Weighing scale
For the ranges of mass-values see: Orders of magnitude (mass)

=== Linear momentum ===
Ballistic pendulum

=== Force (flux of linear momentum) ===
Force gauge
Spring scale
Strain gauge
Torsion balance
Tribometer

=== Pressure (flux density of linear momentum) ===
Anemometer (measures wind speed)
Barometer used to measure the atmospheric pressure.
Manometer (see Pressure measurement and Pressure sensor)
Pitot tube (measures airspeed)
Tire-pressure gauge in industry and mobility
For the ranges of pressure-values see: Orders of magnitude (pressure)

=== Angular velocity or rotations per time unit ===
Stroboscope
Tachometer
For the value-ranges of angular velocity see: Orders of magnitude (angular velocity)
For the ranges of frequency see: Orders of magnitude (frequency)

=== Torque ===
Dynamometer
Prony brake
Torque wrench

=== Energy carried by mechanical quantities, mechanical work ===
Ballistic pendulum, indirectly by calculation and or gauging

== Electricity, electronics, and electrical engineering ==

Considerations related to electric charge dominate electricity and electronics.
Electrical charges interact via a field. That field is called electric field.If the charge doesn't move. If the charge moves, thus realizing an electric current, especially in an electrically neutral conductor, that field is called magnetic.
Electricity can be given a quality — a potential. And electricity has a substance-like property, the electric charge.
Energy (or power) in elementary electrodynamics is calculated by multiplying the potential by the amount of charge (or current) found at that potential: potential times charge (or current). (See Classical electromagnetism and Covariant formulation of classical electromagnetism)

=== Electric charge ===
Electrometer is often used to reconfirm the phenomenon of contact electricity leading to triboelectric sequences.
Torsion balance used by Coulomb to establish a relation between charges and force, see above.
For the ranges of charge values see: Orders of magnitude (charge)

=== Electric current (current of charge) ===
Ammeter
Clamp meter
d'Arsonval galvanometer
Galvanometer

=== Voltage (electric potential difference) ===
Oscilloscope allows quantifying time-dependent voltages
Voltmeter

=== Electric resistance, conductance, and conductivity ===
Ohmmeter
Time-domain reflectometer characterizes and locates faults in metallic cables by runtime measurements of electric signals.
Wheatstone bridge

=== Electric capacitance ===
Capacitance meter

=== Electric inductance ===
Inductance meter

=== Energy carried by electricity or electric energy ===
Electricity meter

=== Power carried by electricity (current of energy) ===
Wattmeter