How is a voltmeter connected to a component to measure applied voltage?

A voltmeter is designed to measure the electrical potential difference, or voltage, across a component in a circuit. To achieve this accurately, the voltmeter must be connected in parallel with the component whose voltage is to be measured. By connecting it in parallel, the voltmeter can accurately capture the voltage across the component without significantly affecting the behavior of the circuit.

When connected in this manner, the voltmeter provides a high resistance path to minimize the current flowing through it, thereby preventing a significant load from being placed on the circuit. This ensures that the voltage reading reflects the actual potential difference across the component without altering the circuit conditions.

Connecting a voltmeter in series, for instance, would lead to incorrect readings since it would create a voltage divider effect, and other options, such as "in quadrature" or "in phase," are not applicable in this context. Thus, measuring voltage correctly requires the voltmeter to be connected in parallel to the component of interest.