What does an oscilloscope primarily measure?

An oscilloscope is primarily designed to measure voltage as a function of time. This capability allows users to visualize the waveform of electrical signals, making it an essential tool for analyzing various signal characteristics, such as amplitude, frequency, rise time, and other time-related behaviors.

When connected to a circuit, the oscilloscope's probes measure the voltage at a specific point. The resulting data is displayed on the screen, with time represented on the horizontal axis and voltage on the vertical axis. This visualization is critical for understanding how voltage levels change over time, which can be pivotal in troubleshooting and diagnosing issues in electronic circuits.

Other measurement aspects, such as current, frequency, or resistance, are not the primary functions of the oscilloscope. While it can indirectly provide information about these parameters through voltage measurements and other methods, its main purpose remains voltage measurement over time.