What consequence occurs when placing the jaws of a clamp-on ammeter around two separate conductors?

When placing the jaws of a clamp-on ammeter around two separate conductors, the reading obtained will be inaccurate. This is because a clamp-on ammeter measures the magnetic field generated by the current flowing through a conductor. When two conductors are placed within the clamp, the magnetic fields produced by each conductor interact with each other.

If the currents in the two conductors are flowing in the same direction, their fields add together, which may give a reading higher than the actual current in one of the conductors. Conversely, if one conductor has current flowing in the opposite direction compared to the other, the magnetic fields will partially cancel each other out, resulting in a reading that is lower than the actual current in the conductors. This interaction leads to inaccuracies in the measurement, making the reading unreliable.

Therefore, the proper use of a clamp-on ammeter requires isolating a single conductor to obtain an accurate current measurement.